Tax Rebates
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-21
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I was genuinely disappointed to see several of the Deputy's colleagues refuse to condemn illegal action. I do think that is genuinely disappointing. We have to pull together and do our best. What I would say to those the Deputy has highlighted in this House, the nurses and those in other professions, is that the actions we have taken are real. There is €750 million worth of measures. The Deputy knows this brief well so he will know that not only will this package have a particular benefit in reducing the price of diesel and petrol compared to what it would have been and do things like extending the fuel allowance period and putting in place a diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and a package for farmers, but that it will also have the effect of reducing the inflation rate by about 0.6%. That is the advice of the chief economist. Although the inflation we will end up seeing in supermarkets will be too high as a result of this war, the rate would have been 0.6% higher were it not for this package. That also has a real and genuine benefit in trying to insulate people. We also have to keep some firepower for the winter. I have no doubt but that the Deputy will, quite rightly, have many ideas on what we should do to help people through a winter challenge. An energy crisis in the winter is even more challenging than one in the summer. This is a balance. I think the step-by-step approach is genuinely the right one.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-21