Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: First Stage

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the temporary reduction of mineral oil tax on home heating oil (kerosene used other than as a propellent) for the purpose of alleviating cost of living pressures; to provide for the extension of such reductions by order of the Minister for Finance; and to provide for related matters. Tá mé ag iarraidh go gceadófar go dtabharfar isteach Bille dá ngairtear Acht chun laghdú éigeandála a dhéanamh ar cháin ola mianra. Is reachtaíocht éigeandála atá sa Bhille seo chun costas teasa tí a laghdú anois go díreach. Tá sé seo ag goilleadh go holc ar ghnáthdhaoine na tíre seo toisc go bhfuil praghas ola chun teach a théamh ag dul in airde. Bhí a fhios againn ó thús an tsamhraidh go dtí anuraidh go ndeachaigh sé suas €500. Má amharcaimid ar an méid a tharla le trí sheachtain anuas, tá an praghas ola faoi choinne teach a théamh imithe suas €300 in aghaidh 1,000 lítear. Is ardú millteanach é sin atá ag cur brú millteanach fud fad an Stáit seo. Seo an t-ochtú huair atá moladh tugtha chun tosaigh agam ó mhí Aibreáin ag éileamh ar an Rialtas an cháin ar ola chun tithe a théamh a laghdú agus a ísliú. Seacht n-uaire i ndiaidh a chéile, vótáil Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael agus na Neamhspleáigh in éadan seo, siocair gur cáin charbóin atá ar an ola seo. An uair dheireanach a rinne siad é ná coicís ó shin. Tá an Bille seo tagtha os comhar an Tí. Beidh vóta ann an tseachtain seo chugainn. Mar gheall air seo, chímid go bhfuil brú anois á chur ar an Rialtas feidhmiú agus é ag caint ar rud inteacht a dhéanamh sa cháinaisnéis. Cuirim fáilte roimhe sin, ach níl a fhios againn go fóill cad é atá sé i gceist aige a dhéanamh. This Bill is very simple. It is a response to the fact that people right across this State feel as if they are being fleeced in relation to the cost of home heating oil, and why would they not? The fact is the cost of home heating oil has gone through the roof. This has happened not just in the past couple of weeks, which I will discuss. The cost of home heating oil from last year to the start of last summer increased by over €500 for a fill. This is the eighth occasion on which I have brought forward either a financial resolution or legislation before this House demanding that the Government respond, demanding that it have ordinary workers' and families' backs and demanding that it get rid of carbon tax on home heating oil while people are just trying to keep their homes warm. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, along with her Cabinet colleagues, those in Fianna Fáil, the Independents and some in the Opposition, like the Soc Dems, vote to continue to place these taxes on home heating oil and to place additional burdens on people out there trying to keep their homes warm. When I say this is the eighth occasion, the reason I keep bringing this back is that I have stood in too many houses and had too many conversations with people who tell me they are pushed to the pin of their collar just trying to keep their homes warm. I told them I would have their back and would not give up. This is why we introduce this legislation now, demanding that the Government respond, demanding that the Government see sense and demanding that the Government get rid of carbon tax on home heating oil while these prices go through the roof, and by God they are going through the roof. In the past three weeks alone, the price of home heating oil, according to the forecourts buying it, has gone up €300 for a 1,000 litre fill. That is on top of the fact that it already went up €500 compared with where it was last year. Yet, the Government still argued and voted two weeks ago not to reduce a single cent of tax on home heating oil. Worse than that, and you could not make this up, the Government's plan is, on 14 October, to increase the cost of home heating oil. Lo and behold, Sinn Féin produces this legislation and then Simon Harris has an epiphany: "Oh, maybe we need to do something in the Finance Bill and in the budget." As I said earlier, talk is cheap. What people want is action. What people want are results. This legislation gives them the results they are demanding: reduce the cost of home heating oil and get rid of carbon tax on it. The Government can do that with the stroke of a pen. It does not need approval from the European Union. That is what a responsible government that has the back of ordinary workers and families would do. It is not just home heating oil that tax needs to be cut on. The Government needs to cut the tax on petrol and diesel. What is happening out there is madness. Right across this State, people are driving up to their forecourts and seeing prices of €2.14 and €2.15. In places like Limerick we are seeing prices of €2.21 for a litre of diesel. It has gone through the roof. In the past three weeks alone, the price of diesel being sold to our pump operators has gone up 30 cent. What is the plan from the Government? Again, the law states that on 14 October it will put the price of diesel up another 2 cent by increasing carbon tax. Hopefully, it will see sense and not proceed with that madness, but that alone is not enough. The Government needs to reduce taxes on petrol, diesel, home heating oil and green diesel, and that can be done. We have the resources to do it. It is what needs to be done. This legislation is the first step in getting the Government to get its head out of the sand, to understand the pressure that ordinary Irish people are under every single day of their lives and, instead of making things harder, to make sure that it lifts some of the burden. It is not lost on anybody that when the price of home heating oil goes up, more money goes into the Government pockets in the form of VAT. When the price of diesel reaches €2.20, it should be remembered that 23% of that increase goes into the Government's pockets in the form of VAT. Hundreds of millions of euro is flowing into the Government because of these price increases. It is time the Government gave it back to the people, cut the taxes, abolished carbon tax on home heating oil and removed further taxes on petrol and diesel to get these prices back down.

No.

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."