Today, Aontú has put a Private Members Bill into the Dáil which will be discussed next week. Our Private Member’s Bill seeks to stop the government from increasing petrol by 27 cents on the 1st of August. It seeks to stop the government from increasing diesel by 32 cents on the 1st of August.
We also look to stop the government from putting up carbon tax in October this year. It’s absolutely incredible that any government would seek to raise fuel prices by so much in a cost-of-living crisis.
We will also show a number of ways in which the burden can be eased on families in this difficult time, and we’ve shown how it can be paid for as well.
So we’re asking you, your family and friends to get behind the Aontú campaign to make life affordable in this country again.
The text of our motion:
That Dáil Eireann notes that:
- Ireland is an outlier regarding the spiralling cost of living. A Eurostat report this week showed we are the most expensive country for housing, health, energy and alcohol. Overall prices are 36% above the EU average. Health costs in Ireland are 85% higher than the European average.
- A study by Barnardos found more than one-third of households went into arrears on energy bills in the last 12 months. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities showing half a million people are behind on gas and electricity payments. Electricity prices are to rise from next week by 8%, while gas goes up by 7.7%.
- Rents are also at record levels, as are evictions, in the wake of the Government’s rent reforms. A two-bed accommodation in Dublin is now almost €2,700 a month, while nationwide is €2,176. That means it costs approximately €30,000 a year to rent here.
- The cost-of-living crisis is now mainstream. Families with two incomes are finding it hard to cope with very little left over for emergencies.
- In the past five years grocery bills increased by 40%. That adds up to approximately €3,000 extra a year, for the same goods.
- Since 2021, energy is up 57%, diesel is up 60%; a pint of stout is up 28%; beef cuts for home-cooked stew are up 50%; butter has risen 42%; chicken breasts that were a €5 in 2022 are now €12.98, steak has doubled in that time and eggs have gone up 35%.
- The Nevin Economic Research Institute this year found Irish households pay around €360 more per year than the western European average for electricity. It identified Ireland as a significant “cost growth outlier”. Overall consumer prices have risen by 24% over the past four years.
- Families across the country are working hard yet barely keeping their head above water.
This Dáil recognises:
- The Government has implemented measures that add to inflation and household bills.
- The government refuses to halt the punitive increases in carbon tax and the M50 tolls.
- The government collected €1.17billion in Carbon Tax last year. This was the highest ever.
- Carbon tax was supposed to be ringfenced for climate projects, but Aontú parliamentary questions found that a quarter of a billion euro of carbon tax revenue – nearly a fifth of it – went back into state coffers in three years.
- 39% of the carbon tax either was directed to other non-climate projects, or went back to the Exchequer, proving it is not needed for its stated purpose.
- The NORA Levy for the climate action fund found €278million – 70% of it – was left sitting in the government’s bank account from 2020 to 2024.
- The government took in €4.3billion in fuel taxes last year alone.
- The government seeks to increase diesel prices by 32cents and petrol by 27cents a litre on the 1st of August.
- Irene Tinagli, Italian MEP, economist and Chair of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis categorised Ireland’s housing crisis as the “most severe and complicated in Europe.”
- This year, the Government removed the rent cap for new builds and new tenancies for the objective of making the housing market more lucrative to investors. The move failed to increase supply, but it resulted in increased rents and record evictions.
- The M50 has paid for itself 30 times over, yet toll fees were still increased this year. It has taken in over €2.2billion in revenue since 2008 and is now a tax on work.
- There is no reprieve for burdened customers on ESB, despite the semi-state company making supernormal profits of €650million last year. Half a million people are in energy arrears.
- The Re-turn scheme was introduced in 2024 and added 25c and 15c per can and bottle onto consumers’ shopping bills upfront at the till. It is an amount in excess of most European countries who have the same scheme.
- The scheme has put extra costs on the taxpayer since its inception, such as the half a million-euro cost of cleaning up Dublin for the scavenging it has caused; while the introduction of bottle holders around the bins to try and stop it cost €155,000 before being scrapped.
- Government waste is at levels never seen before: the Iarnród Eireann €50million IT system failure that was written off. The recent €127,000 HSE Kerry bike shed, following on from the infamous €336,000 Dáil bike shed. Another cost over-run is the National Children’s Hospital that has seen its original estimate of €650million increase to €2.24 billion and counting for the hospital with no opening date.
- There’s the €10million being spent on Dublin City Council’s Wood Quay offices which are planned to be bulldozed in three years’ time.
- The Metrolink, that started in the mid-2000s, should have cost €2billion but is projected to cost €15.8billion. Ireland is the world leader when it comes to squandering of public money, bad budgeting and bad planning.
- Government’s spending overruns have averaged €5 billion each year since 2023. IFAC has strongly criticized the State for year-to-year budgeting, using unrealistic forecasts, and ignoring these overruns.
- Health accounts for more than 40% of total current spending overruns. Capital Infrasturcture overruns hit €1.6 billion in one year.
calls on the Government to:
- To cancel the planned increase in fuel taxes on diesel of 32cents, on petrol of 27cents a litre and on green diesel of 2.4cents.
- Remove VAT from construction for a three-year period. Removing VAT from construction would reduce the average price of a house by an estimated €50,000 per house. This is also a market activation initiative as it would improve viability.
- Reduce profits at semi-state ESB to zero. Allow it to wash its face, cover its costs and invest. This would save every household €300.
- Reform the Re-turn scheme. The not-for-profit company running it has €103million in unredeemed deposits in its accounts.
- Bring in solar panels grant scheme that is accessible for all. Increase the grants for solar panels to 50% for low-income families and reduce it on a sliding scale to the current grant level for high income families.
- Reintroduce the rent caps for new build and new tenancies. Rent caps should be set at the rate of inflation or 2%.
- Scrap the M50 toll.
- End increases in carbon tax.
- Publish the profits in the grocery sector. Mandating the biggest supermarkets to publish their profits would not interfere with the market but would bring transparency to the industry and benefit customer choice.
- Introduce a Heads Will Roll clause for senior civil servants. If they spend money in an irresponsible fashion, there has to be a cost to their careers, up to and including losing their job.
- Appoint a Junior Minister in the Department of The Taoiseach, whose responsibility is to make sure, in real time that capital projects are not over running in cost.
- Audit NGOs that are being funded by the state to ascertain if they are providing a benefit for citizens. Cut government funding to those who are not providing a benefit for citizens.
- End the €5 billion of government budget spending over runs.
- Reduce processing time for IPAS applications to reduce accommodation costs.
- Introduce a 2-year recruitment moratorium in administration within the HSE to rebalance staff numbers towards the front line.
- Introduce output payments within the HSE to ensure that the health service gets paid for the consultations, treatments, engagements and operations that are delivered to patients. This would save money, incentivise hospitals to reduce the length of hospital waiting lists and reorientate staff numbers towards the front line.
- Increase the price of electricity to new Datacentres. This would reduce house hold electricity prices.