Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal

While the Government dithers, the prices double and what the Tánaiste said is cold comfort to people on the street - people who are going cold at this point in time because they cannot afford to heat their homes. I have put the prices on the record. The Tánaiste talks about waiting another week, into the fourth week of this crisis, and about how the Government will come up with something and maybe reveal it all on Tuesday but people in the here and now are facing these prices. Diesel went up by 8 cent this morning and it is projected to go up by 12 cent tomorrow night. Home heating oil went up €100 this morning when it is already sky high. It has gone up by another €100 and is projected to go up another €120 tomorrow night. This is happening in real time and the Government dithers and thinks people can wait another week while it gets its act together. People cannot wait; they demand action now.
There are solutions that can be put forward. The Government can reduce the taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil. It can do what we have set out in our legislation. This could happen right here right now. We could bring a financial resolution before the House and tonight we could cut the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil but the Government refuses to do that. The Tánaiste says the Government hears where people are at but it refuses to act. We have the resources to do this, so why does the Government delay while the price of home heating oil doubles? Why does it dither when people are under so much pressure? Why will it not introduce the measures today for which people the length and breadth of this State are crying out? They are looking for action and leadership from Government and not more meetings, more delay and more dithering.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19