Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne is calling on the government to cancel plans to hike the price of petrol in October and to reduce taxes on petrol and diesel as households continue to struggle with high fuel costs.
Deputy Browne says households are already under pressure with inflation impacting the cost of living and could face fuel costs that would be amongst the highest fuel prices in Europe. The Government is restoring the excise tax on fuel that was reduced in March 2022 due to a spike in fuel costs following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and also implementing a further carbon tax increase.
The Finance Act approved by the Dáil in 2020 legislated for annual increases to the carbon tax of approximately €7.50 up until 2029 and €6.50 in 2030, when the rate will reach €100 per tonne of CO2. The 2024 rate of carbon tax is €56 per tonne of carbon dioxide.
Deputy Brown is highlighting that the government promised to keep fuel costs under review but says instead are determined to punish motorists and make life more expensive for workers and families. The TD notes that rural dwellers are more dependent on their cars for transport and cannot always avail of public transport to travel to work, hospital appointments etc.
