Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has called on government TDs in Wicklow to explain the excise duty increase facing motorists on August 1st. This increase – the second in three months – will see petrol rise by 4c per litre and diesel rise by 3c per litre.
Brady said:
“Motorists in Wicklow are already under huge pressure from unaffordable costs due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Government TDs for this constituency, who include the Taoiseach Simon Harris, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, and Green Party TD Stephen Matthews, owe people of Wicklow an explanation about why, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, they are happy to sit back and watch as another excise duty increase hits workers and families.
This government has already introduced a hike in April which saw a rise in petrol by 4c per litre, and a 3c per litre rise in diesel. In the space of barely three months, that means motorists have seen their fuel increase by 8c and 6c per litre respectively.
Many people across Wicklow have no choice but to use their cars. Government have failed to put in place adequate public transport services to serve as a realistic or reliable alternative.
Recent research by academics at both Trinity College, and UCD has found that the
majority of areas at transport disadvantaged risk in rural Ireland are also socio-economically deprived – these areas have the highest level of forced car ownership – they have no choice as there is little or no public transport alternative.
These areas are most at risk to fuel price rises but are unable to respond given their lack of public transport which forces them to rely on cars. In short, these price increases will impact rural low-income households hardest.
To expect people to take these increases on the chin just shows how out of touch this government is with workers and families who are struggling with unaffordable costs.
There is another fuel increase planned for the 9th of October, which will see the price of petrol increase by 2 cents per litre, and diesel by even more.
Taken together the combined increases will see the government impose price increases of 10 cents on a litre of petrol and 8 cents on a litre of diesel.
This is coming on the back of the AA fuel price monitor highlighting fears that prices of both petrol and diesel could reach €2 a litre.
This is indicative of a government that is deaf to the plight of workers and families who remain enmeshed in a battle against the cost-of-living crisis which continues to impact across Wicklow.
I am calling on the government, and in particular the Taoiseach Simon Harris, to end the government’s indifference to the suffering of ordinary people in Wicklow, and to instead show compassion, flexibility, and common sense.