Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: Second Stage [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-22
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David Cullinane (SF), Waterford

The Minister of State and the Government have had their heads in the sand about the cost-of-living crisis and squeeze for far too long. In recent years, Sinn Féin has used every opportunity we could to point out the challenges facing workers and families, with groceries, insurance costs, rents, mortgage costs, and petrol, diesel and home heating oil going up. Every time we raise these issues, the Government has to be dragged kicking and screaming to react. Even when it does react, it is a crisis response. It is temporary and does not deal with the problem. Then it comes back with its tail between its legs having to correct to what it should have done in the first place.
We warned the Government last year and this year that this was reaching a tipping point, that it would spill onto the streets and there would be protests. It ignored us. What happened? There were protests. Then it blamed the protesters and took no responsibility for the fact it had failed. We have been saying to the Government for years now that the cost of home heating oil is extreme. It is far too high. For the 700,000 homes that depend on home heating oil, it is unbearable at the moment, with all the other costs, yet the Government is doing nothing. In fact, it fought Sinn Féin tooth and nail saying carbon tax could not be touched, and now we are hearing that the Government might do something on carbon tax.
What it could do tonight is accept an Teachta Doherty's Bill and give people certainty by moving on this issue. All people have seen from the Government is delay and delay. I have made this point over and over again. Fine Gael in particular does not like it. The Minister of State's party represents a cosseted, privileged class. It always has and always will. That is why I work tooth and nail so that, one day, we will have a Government that will do the right thing and support people in a cost-of-living crisis and not continue to keep its head in the sand.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-22