Energy Crisis Underlines Need to Redouble Efforts to Decarbonise
Speaking on the fuel crisis hammering working families and businesses across the country, Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has sharply criticised the government for failing to act on multiple fronts to combat the crisis.
An Teachta Tóibín: “Over the past few days, the inevitable has come to pass, as Petrol at pumps across the country hit €2 per litre – 56% of which is Tax & Excise duties. Amidst rising inflation globally and war in Ukraine, this cost is only set to get worse. Quite frankly, the Irish government have failed to act to reduce the cost of fuel. Working families and businesses are being hammered, putting jobs and livelihoods at risk. The spiking cost of fuel is not in isolation however, as everything from childcare, to supermarket goods, to the very cost of existence in modern Ireland rises day after day. If the government does not act immediately, many families will be in financial turmoil”.
“Aontú has called on the government to decrease Excise and VAT on fuel for the last three months. A reduction on VAT and Excise Duties for fuel would drastically reduce the cost of fuel immediately. Many other countries have taken this step. And so far the government has refused. The government has not even asked the EU can we do this. This is a dereliction of duty on the government’s responsibility. It needs to happen now”.
“Oil has spiked to its highest price since 2008, yet little pressure is being brought to bear on OPEC countries to or democracies such as America to increase production and export of oil. A sure-fire means to undercut price increases is to ramp up supply, yet the Irish government has failed to even contemplate increased oil supply to undercut rising cost”.
“Finally, there has been no better time in our history to decarbonise. For global warming reasons, for cost of living reasons and for geopolitical reasons we should redouble our efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Public transport costs should be reduced further. Public transport should be provided more widespread. 30,000 people travel by car from Meath to Dublin every day. They have no rail line option. Decisions need to be made on this now. Access to feed in tariffs for the microgeneration of energy must be increased immediately. We are the last country in Europe to provide a feed in tariff for micro generation. Energy conservation projects must be ramped up. Grants for electric cars need to be increased. And investment in active transport needs to be increased”.
