Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called on the government to fix what he claims are glaring problems with the governments fuel package.
An Teachta Tóibín stated “The May deadline is not feasible from a logistical standpoint. Submissions for the package are required by May 27th; however, many farmers and contractors will be unable to meet this timeframe. Accountants are already under significant pressure and will not be able to process all necessary work before this date. There needs to be provision for submissions to be accepted after the deadline.”
“It has been brought to our attention that if the package is oversubscribed, applicants may receive reduced payments. The scheme should be sufficiently resourced to meet the needs of those experiencing financial pressure. Support should be allocated based on demonstrated need, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis.”
“Furthermore, small contractors with annual turnover below €30,000 who are not VAT-registered cannot access this system, which is inequitable. The exclusion of small contractors. By limiting the system to VAT-registered businesses, the government has abandoned every small operator with a turnover under €30,000. These are the people most vulnerable to rising costs, yet they have been locked out of the room.”
“The government has created an unwieldy system that many will feel was designed cynically to reduce the payments being made to farmers and contractors. The simple solution was to drop the Carbon tax from fuel for the period of the crisis.” – Concluded the deputy
