A proposal by Minister for Transport Shane Ross to equalise diesel prices with petrol prices for climate policy reasons through an increase in excise duty has been blasted as outrageous by Michael Fitzmaurice TD.
The Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway say that the proposal “must be resisted, as it would have a major detrimental effect on the economy and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”
“The proposals which would see the price of a litre of diesel being brought into line with the price of a litre of petrol over a four to five year period would be disastrous for the Irish economy and it must be strongly resisted. Any such proposal would see the price of diesel rise by 12 to 15 cent a litre and would affect hundreds of thousands of people who depend on their cars and vans to travel to work for a start. Tens of thousands of businesses such as haulage and other firms would be in danger of going out of existence and these firms are already under pressure with insurance and other costs spiralling out of control. This week we heard that there are two million people at work in the economy. Many of those people will be out of a job again if this proposal becomes a reality.”
Michael Fitzmaurice continued “It’s all right for Minister Shane Ross to make this proposal because he has a couple of miles to drive into work every day but clearly he is not aware of the implications that this proposal will have for so many people and businesses throughout the country. This is being done in the name of climate change. Do the people who are proposing this want citizens in rural areas to be all cycling around on bicycles and living in tents with no jobs?
It’s time the Government copped on and realised just what a daft idea that this proposal is. It will have the most serious implications for so many people and so many businesses that it must be abandoned immediately because it makes absolutely no sense” he concluded.
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