Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-22
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Richard O'Donoghue (II), Limerick County

They are in arrears on repayments for their trucks and tax arrears, so they cannot qualify for the Government's package.
For everyone in this country, the Government would cap the fuel prices at €1.70 for white diesel. That would mean it would not have had to put the package in place for hauliers and everyone else in this country. It would include the package that the Government is coming out with. What that would come back to is that if you cap it, it creates stability across the country, and also creates forecasting for 12 months.
What has to happen here at every budget going forward, and from now until the next budget, is that the Government has to put in a cap on what it takes in taxes. If it was €1.70 at the moment with the tax, even with the war, if there was an increase in fuel, we would not even be at €1.93 at the moment. It is the tax on the increased cost that is bringing it to €2.20. If you cap the fuel, all businesses are covered, and anyone who is registered can claim back the VAT. That makes for a stable economy.
I cannot understand why the Government cannot look at this. It can do the same with green diesel for everyone in the agricultural sector and whatever sector uses it. It can do the same with kerosene, which covers all the packages that the Taoiseach is talking about, such as home heating, which people rely on. It can do the same with petrol. That would mean that every worker in this country, every person who is caring for people, including gardaí, nurses, carers and the fire service - across the board - has something at source, but the Government has to give the cap, which creates the stability, for that to work. Take the taxes up to €1.70, but after that, no more tax. I have spoken to so many businesspeople, and everyone agrees with me.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-22