Mineral Oil Tax: Financial Resolution
Dail Éireann — 2026-08-28
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Holly Cairns (SD), Cork South-West

I join others in congratulating Senan Molony on his retirement.
This is a Government permanently stuck in reaction mode. A crisis happens, pressure builds, people protest and, eventually, the Government scrambles to put together an emergency response. This is not a cost-of-living strategy; it is a desperate approach from a Government with no vision and no ambition. People are under enormous pressure and that pressure has only ratcheted up over the summer. Electricity prices are soaring. Nearly 330,000 households are now behind on their electricity bills. Home heating oil is nearly 50% more expensive than it was last year. Families are facing into one of the most expensive times of year. The back-to-school season means paying for uniforms, shoes, devices, transport, college fees and so-called voluntary contributions. That is on top of already extortionate rents, mortgages, childcare, groceries and energy bills. Yes, extending the fuel supports will help but it will not help enough.
The most frustrating thing is that this Government is in a position to do so much more. We could be back here today for longer than 60 minutes passing a comprehensive package of measures to make life affordable. We could introduce a targeted €400 energy credit for low- and middle-income households that need it the most and we could insulate families from these global price shocks and drive down energy costs in the long term. By introducing our Solar for All plan, approving plug-in solar and dramatically increasing grants, the Government could ensure that people permanently cut hundreds of euro from their electricity bills. These are all measures that the Social Democrats have consistently called on this Government to introduce and the Government has consistently ignored them. Instead, it is doing the bare minimum before the Dáil goes back into recess for another two weeks.
The problems facing this country are not going away. Our care and justice systems are failing children. There is tragedy on our roads. The majority of young people now believe they will never own their own home.
Families all over the country are still scrambling for school or bus places for their children. The healthcare staffing crisis is spiralling out of control and the Minister for Health is dismissing patient safety concerns of staff at CUH.
We all know the Government cannot control wars in the Middle East or international oil prices, but it can control how exposed we are when these shocks happen and it absolutely can control the crises facing us in housing, health, disability and social care. After years of record surpluses, there is no excuse for people to be left this vulnerable. We need a new approach.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-08-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-31T01:00:52+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-08-28