Cathy Bennett
Cavan-Monaghan · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“It is important that we are having this discussion but that we will have many more discussions that must be had if we want to achieve a united Ireland in a planned and structured way.”
“I welcome this debate on the financial implications of a united Ireland. I acknowledge that the Tánaiste and so many other Members in this House see its merits in the future. I would have hoped that in this House we would at least have moved past the time of framing this without casting a value judgment.”
“As a person from a Border county, the North should never have been treated any differently from Cork, Kerry or Dublin. Irish unity is an opportunity to move beyond very real consequences that were inflicted upon the North, by a dysfunctional British State, and one that is totally disinterested in the needs of our people.”
“Most recently, we had a situation whereby the Government's refusal to adequately fund our schools led to cuts being imposed on every Government Department. If the Government wishes to work towards truly free education and to avoid being the cause of stress and financial hardship in the year ahead, there are a few things it should do.”
“The idea that education in Ireland is free at any level is a myth, whether it is the so-called voluntary contributions or a student contribution fee that costs more even though the Government claims it is reduced. It is utterly galling for hard-pressed families who shell out hundreds or even thousands of euro a year.”
“I welcome that we have recently seen progress on a number of important measures relating to domestic abuse, but what is of crucial importance is that we get the legislation and policy right.”
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“Farmers across this island have been to the fore in responding to the climate and biodiversity crises. They are doing so in a context where they are consistently being asked to do more, while getting paid less, because that is how it works. Newly mandated regulations are usually either production reduction measures or measures that increase production costs. The problem is this. While there can be good money to be made in food production, farmers' margins are already simply too tight to absorb the ever-rising standards. I am not disputing that measures are necessary. The question is how we fund them. Bringing more transparency to processors' and retailers' margins is needed, as is enforcement of unfair trading practices. So too is paying our farmers for the services they provide as a part of the Common Agricultural Policy.”
“Ireland is facing a national biodiversity crisis that is entirely entwined with the climate crisis. We are a country that is known internationally for our landscapes, nature and lakes. These are threats that pose a risk to our own environment and well-being, as well as our local economies, especially in areas that rely on tourism. It requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. In my county, Monaghan, the local council has been to the fore, leading on many initiatives such as the first county hedgerow survey in 2010, which has been replicated by a number of other councils over the years. Recently other projects, such as the Sliabh Beagh PEACEPLUS nature peatland recovery and the hen harrier management programme, have been great initiatives coming out of Monaghan.”
“To address the proposed removal of section 8(5) of the Science and Technology Act 1987, while the amendment is intended to modernise access to EU defence and security-related funding opportunities, Ireland's military neutrality must remain fully protected. Overall, Sinn Féin welcomes the intent of the Bill. We support measures that make enterprise supports more efficient, more accessible and better suited to the challenges businesses now face but we will continue to work to ensure SMEs, indigenous enterprise and regional communities are not treated as secondary considerations. This must be a priority. If our small businesses succeed, local communities succeed, regional economies grow and jobs are protected.”
“Sometimes in the past we had issues with IDA Ireland and Ministers when things did not go to plan and with factories or sites where projects were not developed or where there were business closures or job losses. I ask the Minister to reflect on this and, in practice, to engage and be on the ground, even more so when challenges arise. That is even more important in communities in Cavan and Monaghan, which have seen not only a dearth of inward investment under successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments but sometimes a dearth of interest. In one case, IDA Ireland completed an advanced technology building in Monaghan business and technology park in 2021 but it still remained vacant last year. I would appreciate it if the Minister could provide an explanation for this as well as outline future plans for the site.”
“Enterprise investment cannot continue to be concentrated in Dublin and a handful of urban centres while other places struggle to attract jobs and investment. This legislation must support balanced regional development and sustainable local employment across the State. I will briefly touch on my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Last week, I visited Silver Hill Duck, which is marking the beginning of construction of a new processing facility in Emyvale in County Monaghan. It is a great Irish company that provides good employment locally. Enterprise Ireland was there, as was the Minister of State, as they should be. Silver Hill Duck is an example of tremendous success; a company that started with six ducks in 1962, now provides more than 6 million ducks worldwide.”
“Sinn Féin particularly welcomes efforts to widen environmental protection grants, consultancy supports for sustainability and digital transition. Businesses need support to adopt greener technology, improve competitiveness and reduce long-term costs. This is not only important for climate targets, it is critical for future resilience in the indigenous sector. However, simplification must still go hand in had with accountability and transparency. Public money must always be subject to proper oversight and deliver clear economic and social value. On the provisions relating to strategic investment and designated activity company, DAC, structures, Sinn Féin believes there is merit in strengthening the State's capacity to deliver industrial sites and strategic infrastructure, but, again, regional balance matters.”
“For many SMEs, particularly family-run and locally owned businesses, the challenge is not willingness. Businesses want to invest in energy efficiency. They want to modernise, reduce emissions and lower energy costs. The problem is affordability and accessibility. Many small enterprises simply do not have the upfront capital or dedicated administration staff to navigate lengthy applications, consultancy processes or complicated terms and conditions. Supports must be practical, accessible and responsive to the realities facing smaller firms. If a small manufacturer in Monaghan, a tourism business in Cavan or a family-run enterprise in rural Ireland cannot realistically access these supports, then they are not worth the paper they are printed on.”
“The success or failure of this Bill will depend on one thing, namely whether SMEs are genuinely prioritised. SMEs are the backbone of our economy. They account for 99% of business and employ the majority of workers across the State, particularly in rural towns and villages and regional economies. Too often, enterprise policy in the State has focused heavily on attracting and supporting large multinational investment while indigenous Irish businesses struggle to access the same level of support and strategic attention. That must change. Environmental protection grants and digitalisation supports all sound wonderful on paper but they must not become schemes that are easily navigated by large corporations, while smaller businesses are left behind due to complex bureaucracy or lack of resources.”
“Sinn Féin welcomes the overall intention of this Bill. We have been calling for the streamlining of enterprise supports for a long time now. Sinn Féin and I are glad to see the progress in this space. Measures that improve access to supports, modernise industrial development legislation and help businesses transition towards a lower carbon and digital economy are long overdue. There is no question that many businesses are facing enormous pressures. Rising energy and fuel costs, increasing operational expenses, insurance costs and the demands of digitalisation and decarbonisation are all placing huge strain on businesses across the State. Where this legislation seeks to simplify access to supports, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens, and improve the delivery of grants and consultancy supports, Sinn Féin supports these objectives.”
“Given the events of today, it is apparent that there has been a failure by the Government to properly recognise the modern role of ambulance personnel as prehospital care professionals. There have always been severe issues of workforce planning, driving overtime and burnout. In some cases, there have been issues of resourcing. The Government cannot say it was not warned, however. I have raised resourcing issues within our ambulance service in Monaghan with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister of Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and many others to no avail. This Government is just not listening. What is needed? The Minister must intervene directly and genuinely listen to the grievances of our hardworking nurses and ambulance service workers.”
“In the past week alone, it was reported that last month was the worst April on record for overcrowding in University Hospital Kerry. A total of 23 people waited 24 hours on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick where doctors warn that patient safety risks identified by HIQA last year remain unaddressed. In my constituency, 16 people were waiting on trolleys in Cavan hospital. Monaghan hospital should be fully operational. Is it any wonder that some 25,000 Irish-qualified nurses and midwives, excluding retirees, have left our health system over the past two decades? We need to do better for our nurses. They are highly trained, qualified and dedicated but we need the Government to put in place conditions that both nurses and patients need and deserve. The same holds true for many of our other healthcare professionals.”
“The 120,000 registered practitioner nurses and midwives across the breadth of the island are the backbone of our health service. As they care for us throughout our lives, those of us in public life, particularly those in government, have a duty to care for them but that has not always been the case. Our student nurses have been utterly failed, alongside other students, when it comes to student accommodation. There is a deficit of at least 39,000 student beds across Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. The Government is delivering near naught in terms of purpose-built student accommodation. It is a drop in the ocean. As these nurses progress through their careers, they endure the burden of conditions that no one would wish for our healthcare system.”
“I acknowledge that the Minister of State's Government joined cause with others in seeking the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement but it supported Mrs. von der Leyen's reappointment and now laments that her Commission takes no action and blames it for preventing it from fulfilling its commitment on the occupied territories Bill. I caution the Minister of State that it is his Government that undermines the credibility not only of the EU here in Ireland, but of our own political institutions.”
“It is actually Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that do the EU a disservice in behaving in this way. Ordinary people will naturally think that there are things the EU does well but also things that it does badly. Failing to acknowledge that contributes to the perception that the Irish Government's attitude to the EU is that you simply do as you are told. Being a real friend and partner means being willing to have difficult conversations, when appropriate. It means standing apart when faced with repugnant behaviour that you simply cannot stand behind. While some in this House today will speak about the EU's contribution to human rights and the rule of law, the fact of the matter is that across great parts of the world the EU has lost all credibility due to its ongoing refusal to sanction Israel for its blatant war crimes and genocide.”
“The European Union has contributed incredibly positively to Ireland in many ways. Of course, there was the significant investment by Europe through structural funds and support for the peace process, especially through PEACEPLUS funding, which remains vital. The European Union also stood with Ireland throughout Brexit. I put it to the Minister of State that a united Ireland should be high on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's agenda during the EU Presidency. It is right that we acknowledge the work the European Union does and the benefits of our membership but, to some in this House, it seems that any criticism of EU policy amounts to an attack on the concept of our ongoing membership, which is utter nonsense. It seems that we must treat the EU as unique among political organisations and above reproach or critique.”
“What we need now is to see real political intervention that meets the scale of the challenge that we face and that requires an emergency budget immediately. People cannot wait until October. We need to see petrol and diesel made affordable. We need to see carbon tax wiped off home heating oil and green diesel, with not one single cent in increases in carbon tax. We need the energy credits, which the Government callously ripped from people, restored. We need targeted social welfare packages for carers, pensioners and people with disabilities. Struggling businesses and ordinary people and workers need this now and it is no less than what is deserved during a cost-of-living crisis. We need an emergency budget.”
“The Taoiseach and the Minister of State seem taken aback when Members of the Opposition continue to raise this with them. The Taoiseach thinks people are failing to realise that the crisis has arisen due to international events outside of his control. The frustration being felt by hauliers, farmers, farm contractors, coach operators and many more is not because they do not comprehend international circumstances; it is because they looked to the Government in response to a cost-of-living crisis on which it has utterly failed them. The price shocks that are felt by the sector have knock-on effects for all ordinary workers and families, even beyond the immediacy of the energy shocks it is feeling itself. The Minister of State is failing them too with his meagre, paltry, half-baked and half-arsed half-measures.”
“Hauliers, farmers and agricultural contractors are among those who only a few years ago would have been called essential workers. Coach operators, too, are essential for day-to-day life, especially in rural Ireland where public transportation options are sorely lacking. They pick up some of the slack begotten to us by the dearth of inward investment from successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments. They operate on incredibly slim margins. In the face of drastically increasing fuel prices, they are looking to the Minister of State and his Government to alleviate that burden so that they can produce food, transport it and other goods, and help ordinary people go about their day-to-day lives, get to work, school or college, or just go about their ordinary business.”
“It would be very useful for the RSA to engage with this as well as evidenced in the examples set by other states. The failure to prioritise our diaspora means that we do not have such an agreement or arrangement in place today. Can we agree today that the Department of Transport will ensure that it and the RSA will give equal priority to agreements and solutions for returning Irish citizens?”
“This is the bare minimum we can do, especially at a time when the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is actively encouraging people to return home to rebuild Ireland. It would make sense, it would be straightforward and it would make it possible for these people to return home. In that context, I note the programme for Government speaks of prioritising agreements with states from which Ireland can source professional drivers. Given the shortages that makes complete sense. However, in terms of returning emigrants, the language is much softer. The Government needs to work to facilitate the easier return to Ireland for emigrants, including reciprocal driving licence arrangements. Can we recognise where there are solutions, such as those brought forward in this report? I commend this report, which is great.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for the offer to engage with the RSA. The gentlemen in the Gallery will be delighted with that response because it is something that we do need to move on. Ireland has asked a lot of our diaspora and they have answered time and again, particularly the Irish community in the United States, whether with political support or interventions regarding the Good Friday Agreement or Brexit, economic support or remittances during times of famine, funds that supported the fledgling Government during the Tan war, foreign direct investment and even supporting the tourism sector to this day. We have been less consistent in relation to what we have to offer our diaspora.”
“In fact, in one instance, I read about an Irish citizen who had obtained a US licence, exchanged it for a Belgian one, returned to Ireland, drove for six years and then had to sit the Irish driving test. We all need to agree that it is not about road safety. It sounds as if it is more about bureaucracy. Further to this report, I have a number of specific questions for the Minister of State, and I would appreciate if he would provide clarity. While we all accept the reciprocal approach when we think about, we also accept that under Irish law exchanges do not necessarily need to be reciprocal as in the case with some of the arrangements in place already with Austria, Belgian, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Portugal. When we see so many awaiting driving tests, I think we all agree on a need for simplification.”
“Ciarán's work with and among the Irish in the United States has been incredibly important over many years. What this report brings to light is that for all of the complexity we have been told about over the many years, there is perhaps a degree of this matter being about political will. The Minister of State can have the political will. There is certainly a need for common sense by all. Road safety is paramount, of course, but we are talking about people who may have had Irish driving licences for decades and who may not have had to do a test had stayed in Ireland. We are also talking about people who are free to drive in Ireland for up to one year but it becomes an issue after that.”
“More recently, as the campaign to make real progress on exchanges with the United States has gained momentum, Ministers have expanded on that explanation, saying we operate within the EU framework, standards are set at EU level, there is a technical road safety-based process and that this is not a matter of political will. This is what we have been told by the Government until now. I commend Safe Home Ireland and the Irish-US Drivers Licence Campaign on their recently published report, Irish-US Driver’s Licence Campaign: Easing the burden on our returning citizens. I also welcome Ciarán Staunton, the co-chair of the campaign, who is in the Gallery today with Damian Greene. Both organisations have done incredible work over recent years supporting members of the Irish diaspora seeking to return home.”
“I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to prioritise driver licence exchange agreements. Reviewing parliamentary questions placed by my party colleague, Deputy Conway-Walsh, in the previous term and questions from at least ten TDs in this term, Ministers advised that it is a matter for the Road Safety Authority to recommend, following a detailed examination of the licensing system in a third country, whether or not to engage in the licence exchange agreement. People appreciate that there could be a degree of technical complexity in terms of the reciprocal exchange of driving licences.”
“In doing so, they gave their blessing to a European budget that saw the amount assigned to fund CAP reduced from 37% to 30%, a cut in real time for our farming families. We now know that Ursula von der Leyen wants to do the same thing again. We also know that an element of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil think rural people have it too good. The agriculture Council is due to meet next Monday to discuss the next CAP. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, in his closing remarks, address whether Ireland will categorically rule out accepting the EU budget that contains further cuts to CAP? Will he also commit to advocating for new, enhanced and reinvigorating funding?”
“When the European Commission proposed to slash Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, funding by as much as 25%, the response from the Irish Government should have been to rule out any cut at all. Instead, the Government decided to run for political cover claiming that it was just a starting point. It should have told Europe flat out that any proposals to cut CAP funding were a non-starter for Ireland. Last week, we got an insight into perhaps why that was the case, when a former Fine Gael Taoiseach cynically degraded rural Ireland as a whole. He said he was seeking an honest conversation. Well, how about this? It was a Fine Gael Government that led the negotiations on the current CAP and a Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil Government that signed off on it. They did so during a period when Ireland had become a net contributor to the EU budget.”
“In recent months, the Irish Government launched an advertising campaign in Australia encouraging those who built Australia to return home. Emigrants, however, face significant challenges returning home. While appreciating recent efforts to expand countries with which Ireland has reciprocal recognition arrangements regarding driving licences, will the Government ascribe equal priority to Irish citizens who are returning home in order that they can get driving licences?”
“At a time when we have seen an overwhelming vote by National Ambulance Service workers for industrial action, up to strike action, will the Minister intervene on these matters?”
“I find it hard to believe that there are 263 posts that we cannot fill. I do not know if this is down to how we are advertising these posts that they are not being filled. As stated, this information, which I asked for previously, is very important in order that we can inform policy decisions. We cannot fix what is not measured. In terms of what needs to be done in order that the right people across the State have the ambulance service that they deserve and need, however, a few things are apparent. Our dedicated and highly educated newly qualified paramedics need a clear pathway to permanent employment in the National Ambulance Service. They are well needed because the service, by its own admission, is massively short-staffed by 2,000 workers. In Cavan and Monaghan, we need a 24-7 advanced paramedic.”
“I welcome that additional staff have been employed. It is still not enough, however. More needs to be done. The National Ambulance Service used to make data available to help inform policymakers in coming forward with constructive solutions. Data indicates that the number of people who died by the time an ambulance actually reached their homes was up 70% in the eight years prior to 2024. There were over 95,000 instances in 2022 of people waiting more than one hour. However, when Sinn Féin recently sought updated information, the National Ambulance Service told us that there is no operational imperative to do so and that there is little or no clinical evidence underpinning response-time targets. That is despite coroners having found evidence of ambulance service capacity being the root cause of a person's death.”
“The Government does not have a sports diplomacy strategy for the love of the game. It is diplomatic soft power, sport being inherently political. I invite the Minister of State to reflect on his party's support for that game and perhaps consider his Government’s role in supporting the soft power and sportswashing of the genocidal Israeli regime.”
“What we would like to see from the Minister of State is an update of the code of practice for safety and the putting in place of funding to help clubs to meet it. I also ask him to fulfil his party’s commitment to increase the betting tax by 1% and put that money into sports funding, and to commit to multi-annual funding for facilities and infrastructure while working with organisations to become self-sufficient. I also commend and show solidarity with my party colleague, Deputy Joanna Byrne. As chairperson of Drogheda United, she was central to the fantastic work that has taken place there. I note some Government figures were very quick to express opinions that the Ireland-Israel game should take place. I also welcome that the Minister for foreign affairs only recently launched a sports diplomacy policy. Let us be real, however.”
“The League of Ireland severely lacks investment and proper infrastructure. There have been a lot of League of Ireland jerseys outside the Chamber today. Unfortunately, while County Monaghan does have many fantastic clubs, the only professional team in my county folded back in 2012 because of debts of just €6,000. There is no League of Ireland club in County Cavan. I ask the Minister of State to put more funds into encouraging that happening in Cavan and Monaghan. We all know how beneficial it is to children and young people growing up. Instead, as a TD from a Border county, today I had to wear a Derry City jersey, which is reflective of my ambition that we would see an all-Ireland league and national team.”
“The League of Ireland and the GAA have undeniably done tremendous work over recent years. This is clearly borne out by attendance figures, especially for the League of Ireland, which saw over 1.1 million people attend games. There has been more than an 11.7% rise in the number of spectators year on year. Soccer and GAA clubs have innovated in how they raise funds and how they support their local communities in all sorts of ways. I wholeheartedly commend everybody involved in football clubs. They deserve credit, especially the very many volunteers. While Government figures will always be willing to put out social media posts during a national team campaign, the fact of the matter is that the successes of the League of Ireland have been in spite of the Government rather than because of it.”
“Sinn Féin has outlined how we could achieve the cuts to fuel prices that we have advocated for. The question for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs is: why not?”
“The frustration has already been fostered by the Government because even for the paltry measures it has taken, it had to be brought kicking and screaming into this Chamber. Petrol and diesel are set to hit record prices, and home heating oil is already there. Energy credits have been pulled for over 300,000 households already in arrears on electricity bills. There has been a €1,400 cut for people with disabilities, who are not getting their energy credits. Despite the miserable measures, does the Minister think the people have it easy? The time for half measures is long past. If the Government wants farmers to be able to produce food, hauliers to be able to bring food to our villages and bus operators to bring people to the shops, then we need the Government to stand up and stand with the people.”
“I stood with the people yesterday, and I voted no confidence in the Government. People protesting over fuel prices appreciate that the Irish Government is not responsible for the international crisis. People were protesting because when a crisis occurs, they expect their Government to have their backs. Twice now, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, alongside the so-called Independents, have made an absolute hames of it, and the country is so disappointed in them. They could have cut diesel by the maximum amount possible, but they did not. They could have removed excise, including the carbon tax on home heating oil, but they did not. That is where that frustration is coming from. People are struggling to heat their homes. Farmers, hauliers and coach operators simply cannot afford to absorb this shock within already very slim margins.”
“The carbon tax was meant to be a behavioural tax to encourage people to change behaviours, but people do not have the choice of public transport or any alternatives to using their car to drop their kids to school, go to work and about their daily life like many others. Many people in my constituency of Cavan and Monaghan do not have choices and cannot change behaviour. All this tax can do is screw over people who are already struggling. My final question to the Minister of State - I appeal to him to answer this - is will he postpone further planned increases in carbon taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil while the energy crisis persists? He said that tax is to happen on 1 May. I hope the Government is not going to do it.”
“The limited resources the Government did introduce via the National Oil Reserves Agency will see the cost of home heating oil reduced by only two cents per litre. Is that a joke? This was wholly inadequate in terms of households reliant on home heating oil in and of itself, but it will also be negatively affected by the Government’s planned increase in carbon tax on 1 May. Why in the name of God does the Minister of State think it is a good idea to increase the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil in the midst of an energy crisis? Government Ministers are fond of saying it is funding needed for farmers, but I suggest the Minister of State go back to the Comptroller and Auditor General who makes it patently clear it is not farmers who are getting paid from that fund.”
“Sinn Féin has brought forward proposals to ensure that data centres pay their fair share through a restructuring of the PSO levy. Is the Government content that households pay six to eight times more than data centres? If the Government is not content with it, will it agree to support the Sinn Féin proposal? I ask this because, to date, it seems that the Government’s policy on energy is predicated on supporting data centres at all costs while ensuring that any measures to support ordinary families are minimal and as temporary in nature as it thinks it can get away with.”
“I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could give an explanation as to why nothing seems to have been done more than 400 days after the Government gave a commitment to divert surplus renewable energy to households living in energy poverty. In that period, the Government has allowed surplus renewable energy valued at €560 million, or €1.3 million, to go to waste every day. This is equivalent to 512 million tanks of hot water that could have been used by households. The Government has been very prone to saying that it would welcome constructive ideas from the Opposition. My party colleague Deputy Pa Daly, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on climate, introduced legislation to enhance the power of the energy regulator to hold energy companies to account and to tackle price gouging. Will the Government commit to supporting that legislation?”
“When the Government withdrew the energy credit supports as part of budget 2026, it justified its action on the basis of a projected inflation rate. That rate has proven to be 50% lower than projected. The decision it made was based on fundamentally wrong information. As a result, I contend that the Government made a clearly and undeniably the fundamentally wrong decision. Does the Minister of State dispute that inflation projections were wrong and that the Government’s decision to withdraw energy credits was fundamentally flawed? If so, what is the Government going to do to redress the terrible impact of its clearly ham-fisted decision?”
“As I said earlier this week, people understand that the Government is not responsible for the international energy crisis that has emerged. What people hold the Government responsible for in the first instance is the framework it had in place in advance of the crisis. In the second instance, they hold it responsible for its response. I contend that said response has been delayed, minimal and not of sufficient substance to meaningfully protect, as best we can, the people in our communities who need support. Ordinary families, workers, businesses and farmers have been struggling with out-of-control energy prices. More than 320,000 households are in arrears with their electricity bills. One in four households are in arrears with gas bills.”
“Instead they got a wait-and-see response, and now they get tokenism: on fuel allowance a paltry four-week extension, and limited intervention on petrol and diesel that simply does not cut it. It is not good enough. There is not even tokenism for those without a clue how they will pay for home heating oil. There is nothing at all. With all the credibility of snake oil salesmen, the Government continues to tell farmers and rural people that they benefit from the carbon tax, a claim report after report has found to be completely baseless. Sinn Féin's proposals would have delivered a €183 reduction on 1,000 litres of home heating oil; the Government's proposals do not. Sinn Féin has advocated a 25 cent reduction on the tax the Government raises from petrol and diesel.”
“Ordinary families and workers understand that the Irish Government is not responsible for international energy crises. Where the frustration lies, however, is that what it is responsible for is Ireland's response, and its response has been lethargic, it is lacklustre and it has not been nearly good enough. Not only is it a delayed response but our starting point is actually worse than it need have been, given that the Government pulled the energy credits only a few months ago based on inflation figures it got wrong. With more than 300,000 households already in electricity arrears and a new crisis emerging, what people would have expected is a Government response that prioritised them and looked to protect them from the worst impact of price shocks.”
“If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael refuse to support this motion, it is a shame on them all. The very least they can do is stop making the current situation even worse. Enough is enough.”
“The most substantive related action taken by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and their so-called Independent supporters has been to increase the carbon tax, which increased the cost of heating a home, the cost of travelling to work, dropping kids to school or otherwise going about their ordinary day-to-day business, and it plans to do it again on 1 May. That is all while Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Ministers tell us they are keeping the matter under review or that they might take some sort of action at some unknown point in the future. I would welcome if the Tánaiste would take positive action. I would even commend him if he were to do so. Sinn Féin's motion tonight calls on the Government to immediately intervene to reduce fuel prices and scrap planned tax increases on home heating oil.”
“Enough is enough. More than 300,000 people in this State are already in arrears on electricity bills. The Government has already withdrawn energy credits only a few short months ago. It did so on the basis of projected inflation rates that underestimated the actual rate by as much as 50%. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael believe that they could simply declare the cost-of-living crisis finished. In doing so, they placed the State and ordinary workers and families in the worst position to respond to the worsening crisis.”
“For International Women's Day this year, my message to the Government is that we appreciate the rhetoric, but it is long past time it progressed beyond the rhetoric and media opportunities to meaningful policy delivery.”