Louth TD calls for urgent action on ‘frightening’ surge in home heating oil and fuel
Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has warned that soaring home heating oil, petrol and diesel prices have “frightened people” and placed households under “enormous pressure”.
He was speaking ahead of Sinn Féin bringing a Private Members’ motion before the Dáil this week calling for immediate government intervention to reduce fuel prices and halt planned tax increases.
The motion demands that the government “immediately intervene to reduce fuel prices and scrap planned tax increases on home heating oil.”
Deputy Ó Murchú said the debate will give ministers “an opportunity to finally act to protect workers and families facing severe financial pressure.”
The Dundalk-based TD said families in Louth have already been struggling through what he called an “unrelenting cost-of-living crisis”, and that the rapid rise in the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil is worsening the situation.
He linked the surge in fuel prices to international instability, saying the increases were being driven by “the illegal attack on Iran by the United States and Israel”, which he claimed has exacerbated pressures on ordinary households.
“The massive jump in home heating oil and fuel costs have frightened people and have put households under enormous pressure,” he said, accusing the government of “sitting on their hands while costs spiral out of control”.
The motion also calls for the scrapping of tax increases on home heating oil due to take effect on 1 May. It seeks reductions in the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil through the party’s proposed Mineral Oil Tax (Emergency Cost of Living Reduction) Bill 2026.
Ó Murchú said the motion aims to highlight “the growing hardship being experienced across the State”, warning that record numbers of households are struggling with energy bills.
“Hundreds of thousands are in arrears and many more are on the brink,” he said. “The number of people at risk of poverty has also increased. In that context, the government’s failure to act on soaring fuel costs is simply unacceptable.”
He added that the upcoming debate would allow TDs to show “whether they stand with struggling households or with a government refusing to act.”
“Families are being hammered by rising costs,” he said. “This motion gives the government and every TD an opportunity to back immediate action to bring fuel prices down and provide real relief to households.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
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