National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-26
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Conor Murphy (SF), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I move amendment No.1:
In page 3, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Section 34 of the National Oil Reserves Agency Act 2007
1. Section 34 of the National Oil Reserves Agency Act is amended by adding a new paragraph after paragraph (2):
“(3) The Minister shall, within three months of the reduction of the NORA levy during the period identified in section 37(1A)(b) coming into effect, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report examining the impact of providing this reduction. The report should assess the impact on cost and affordability across different sectors of the economy including but not exclusive to households, carers and people with disabilities, those living in rural Ireland, and SMEs. The report should conduct the analysis on a county-by-county basis, particularly focusing on counties with a large proportion of their population dependent on home heating oil. The report should also explore alternative measures that could be applied to absorb price shocks.”.”.
I move this amendment in the certain knowledge that the measures brought before us as part of this Bill will not be sufficient and they will not have the impact on households that people have waxed lyrical about here. This amendment gives some attempt at least to come back to this institution within three months to measure properly the impact of these measures on various sectors, particularly on households and those living in rural Ireland. It is a modest request to have some transparency, reporting and accountability to both the Dáil and the Seanad on these measures.
I will make a few other points. Senator Flaherty told us that this is not a full package of measures but then he criticised and attacked those who criticise the paucity of the measures that are in front of us. Not surprisingly, in the absence of any proper argument in support of them, he resorted to mud-slinging and propaganda measures, which demean him and the debate we are trying to have. Nonetheless, that seems to be his stock-in-trade.
The Minister of State made some references to the situation North of the Border. The British Government similarly issued a meagre support, which amounts to approximately £30 per household. If he took sufficient interest to affairs North of the Border, he would realise that the Executive does not have powers over taxation or excise duty and, therefore, cannot intervene in these measures at all. It would be helpful if he were fully aware of facts of how his partners in the North-South Ministerial Council work and the restrictions that apply to them when it comes to the measures they are able to take in this regard. Nonetheless, the amendment is proposing that we would at least get some transparency, accountability and feedback as to how these measures work.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-26