Crushing fuel taxes blamed for protests and motorway chaos – ‘People have had enough’
A Louth councillor has said “sheer frustration with the vast taxes” on fuel is at the heart of protests which have brought motorway traffic to a standstill across the country over the past week.
Fianna Fáil councillor Shane McGuinness said the demonstrations were being driven by broader public anger over the cost of living and a belief that the Government is out of touch with working people.
“There is more to this than fuel,” Cllr McGuinness said. “I feel the people of Ireland have had enough and the Government is just not in touch with ordinary working-class people, who are the squeezed middle and pay the price every week in their pay packet and carry the tax burden for everyone on this island.”
While acknowledging that the Government is “holding a cautious and balanced line” on carbon tax and directing revenue into sustainable and environmental projects, Cllr McGuinness said the policy was having a tangible impact on households.
“It is hurting ordinary people in their pockets time and time again,” he said.
The councillor pointed to a number of contentious national spending issues which he said had added to public frustration, including the handling of the National Children’s Hospital project, the cost of unused electric buses in Dublin, and expenditure on migration, which he said had risen to more than €3 billion per year.
“These are major issues which have led to real frustration,” he said.
Cllr McGuinness said working people were being “taxed beyond their ability in some cases to pay”, citing a wide range of charges including income tax, property tax, motor tax, fuel tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty and vehicle registration tax.
“On top of that, people are paying tolls, VAT on food, electricity and gas, and rising insurance costs — particularly the ongoing health insurance cost fiasco,” he said. “Everything is becoming unaffordable.”
He said this had resulted in a “deepening divide”, with many protesters feeling there was a lack of political will to address their concerns.
“There is a serious belief that the Government is not in touch with reality,” he said. “The ordinary people out protesting are standing up for what they believe in — their families, their businesses and their livelihoods.”
While noting that the Government had taken some action in response to the protests, Cllr McGuinness said measures should have been introduced sooner.
“They should have acted faster and swifter and looked after working people as a matter of urgency,” he said. “This protest should have stopped much earlier in the week.”
He called for reductions in excise duty, a deferral of planned increases in carbon tax, and the introduction of fuel subsidy supports.
“It strikes me as being a week too late, but our Government must show more integrity, loyalty and strength with further financial measures to support squeezed middle-income families and small businesses,” he said.
“We need brave people in politics, right at the heart of our Government. It’s never too late to make the right decisions. People look to their Government for concrete action, and sometimes there needs to be much greater urgency when it matters most.”