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pressure off people. We fully acknowledge that it does not deal with the scale of the increases in the cost of home heating oil or petrol. The focus on the fuel allowance does help with home heating oil, as does the reduction in the NORA levy. It should

that the crisis will de-escalate and we will see the normalisation of supply. On supply, we hold 90 days of stocks of oil, in line with our international commitments. NORA, which manages our State reserves, is also committed, through the International Energy Agency, IEA, announcement … million barrels. That contribution is approximately 10.5 days of supply. We are unquestionably unusually exposed to increases in the price of home heating oil because we are heavily reliant on kerosene for residential heating. Kerosene accounts for over 90% of home heating oil demand and about

three days at a time. Nor does it capture the 750,000 households reliant on home heating oil who cannot afford to fill their tank because the price of home-heating oil has doubled over the past five or six weeks and the supports have not been there … this for years. The Government's failure to support solid fuel homes is putting people at risk. It cannot talk about a just transition when designing schemes for the well-off. It cannot criminalise people for heating their homes when the alternatives are not there. We need

particular crisis with the increase in the price of oil and families are dealing with almost a doubling of the cost of home heating oil. I am dealing with families who are deciding whether to restrict spending on other essential parts of life, for example, whether they will … absolutely nothing to reduce the pressure on families or reduce the cost. It has not removed one cent of excise duty from home heating oil, despite Sinn Féin having brought forward a proposal eight times. This is the eighth time we have brought forward a proposal while

oil, just 2 cent per litre. It has not gone unnoticed that those in rural communities, farmers and households who rely on home heating oil and fuel for farming or to get from A to B have in particular been failed by the Government and thrown … wolves when it comes to these measures. Some 750,000 households across this State rely on home heating oil. To make matters worse, the 2 cent reduction will be wiped out in a few weeks' time when the Government proceeds with its carbon tax increase. It could have

impacts on prices across the board. Home Heating Costs In particular, as we come into winter, the increase in the price of home heating oil and natural gas represents a heavy burden for many families who have no easy alternatives. While no Government can fully absorb the impact … Middle East conflict, we must act. Therefore, I want to be clear that carbon tax on home heating oil and gas is being reduced and will not increase again in the lifetime of this Government. I want to be clear that there will be no increase

tangible solutions to what the people of Ireland require and need. People are worried about their next electricity bill, the price of home heating oil and the cost of filling the car just to get to work. For many working families, the cost-of-living crisis … allowance, support vulnerable households and invest in home retrofitting programmes that make homes warmer and cheaper to run. Those programmes are not abstract climate polices; they mean warmer homes, lower bills and less exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. Every home that is properly insulated, every retrofit completed

first place but it could certainly have done more to ensure people could get a break, particularly when it came to home heating oil. In my part of the country and, I am sure, in the Minister of State's area, the vast majority of people use home … loan and everything that is hitting them at all angles. Then, they suddenly found the price of fuel, home heating oil and everything else going through the roof. The Government did little to help them and they felt they were left alone. That is what brought people

winter will be that they go cold because the Government is wed to the nonsensical, unjustifiable and completely unnecessary carbon tax on home heating oil. Sinn Féin has now come before the Dáil eight times to seek the removal of carbon tax from home heating oil. At every … Minister of State to please support the Sinn Féin legislation. Let us put a little warmth back in people's homes this winter

hope the Minister will consider the Sinn Féin legislation being debated here this evening to reduce the cost of home heating oil. The households of the vast majority of the people I represent, the people of Roscommon and Galway, use home heating oil. As we approach the budget … heating. I ask for a major focus, to include advertising, to be put on the additional needs payment as quickly as possible so that working people will know there is some support for them. No families should be in the dark or cold in their homes

tank and switching on the heating. We both work." Another said, "We need the energy credits brought back please" while another said "Home heating oil is more expensive today than it was the day of the budget - €43 off a fill gone before you get it. They need … scrap the carbon tax on home heating oil." Another said, "For 500 litres, €809" while the last one said, "Kerosene has gone up so much since the day of the budget. We buy by the can. I'm on invalidity pension and going on old age pension

home heating oil cost about €1,000 in the State, and it has increased by about €150 in just four days. This should not be happening because the supply chain purchased this oil before the crisis in Iran. Again, according to academics, a fill of home heating oil … that. We were told that the carbon tax was about moving people into alternatives, such as sustainable transport or other ways of heating their homes. If they cannot do that, is a carbon tax not just punitive in that scenario? Will the Taoiseach scrap the carbon

reality here is that they are still continuing with half measures. They had the opportunity to cut the excise duty on home heating oil, but they did not do so. This means that the more than 700,000 households which rely on home heating oil across the State

fuel allowance for four weeks, which will help about 470,000 people to deal with the rise in the price of home heating oil. There is no doubt that there is huge pressure on families and people across the country. The price of home heating oil has increased

will continuously bang the drum of common-sense solutions. Speaking of my constituents, I have continuously pushed for home heating oil to be addressed in the next budget because of the homes in my constituency that rely on it. They cannot switch, so they are completely exposed … housing and apartments delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies, and allow people to save money immediately. Again, the issue of home heating oil must be addressed in the budget

Laois the lowest price for road diesel is €2.10 per litre and it continues to increase. In this State, the increase in home heating oil is eight times the average increase across Europe. It was €480 for 500 litres. It is now €585 from suppliers in the midlands … arrears with gas bills. Households in the midlands and in County Laois are exposed because of the high number that depend on home heating oil in rural areas and in areas where there is no natural gas. A number of homes also have a low energy rating. People

very real pain that people on low-to-middle incomes are under in terms of the price increases. If you look at home-heating oil, for example, and people who do not avail of the fuel allowance increase because they are above those thresholds and cannot afford those … increases in home-heating oil, the Government does not seem to be acknowledging that. We have put forward proposals. A targeted energy credit of €400 would be a start to helping households in that situation. We have put forward proposals for investment now, which would mean a long

lose hope. I come from a rural constituency. I know all too well that homes there are reliant on home heating oil. Once again, the Government has abandoned these people with its half measures. There are 750,000 of these households across the country. Over a month … excise duty on home heating oil. Instead, the Government reduced the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, levy by 2 cent per litre. That is even before we consider the hardship of people with defective concrete blocks who are watching their homes crumbling and looking at the cracks

This Government is an engine of fuel inflation in this country. This Government is pushing up the price of fuel now. Home heating oil is well on its way to costing €2,000. Again, it is the same with the majority of this tax, which is absolutely scandalous … million people are in energy arrears. I spoke to an older gentleman in the past couple of days. He went to buy home heating oil but he could not afford it. He has a few sticks left in his backyard. That is all he has to heat

them off scot-free and did not put a glove on them. What of the 700,000 families who rely on home heating oil to keep warm? After months of standing back and refusing to help, what does the Government come up with? A miserly … fill of oil that now costs €1,600. That took some neck. It could have removed all of the carbon tax from home heating oil. That would have delivered a substantial price cut. For Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, it seems that these families simply are not worth

received €1,216 over the course of the fuel allowance season. The carbon tax makes up 10% of the total cost of home heating oil based on figures from 16 April. We have extended the fuel allowance season by a further four weeks to assist people … struggling to pay for their home heating oil and those most at risk of poverty and to help them offset some of those costs

over the limit and they will not benefit from the extra month of fuel allowance, although it is welcome. The cost of home heating oil is an issue that is not being addressed and we are stuck with it for now. Many rural households out there, particularly … counties such as Laois, are dependent on home heating oil, unfortunately, for now. They are not going to feel any benefit from this, particularly the ones who are outside of the fuel allowance limits. I welcome the VAT rebate being given to hauliers, but the same VAT rebate

enough. How could you stand up, understanding where people are at, and decide to say you are just doing nothing on home heating oil and you are just going to leave people to paddle their own canoe in relation to that issue? Simon, I stood in the homes … here with an insult to those individuals - a complete and utter abdication of your duties in saying you are doing nothing on home heating oil. It is absolutely disgraceful. If you listened, you would understood where people are at. Talk to the farmers. I spoke to a farmer

around the world and left nobody in charge and ignored the calls of the people to reduce the cost of home heating oil. Families in every corner of the country have continued to be squeezed since that time while the Government has sat on its hands and done … nothing. Our proposal will remove carbon tax from home heating oil and cut the cost of a 1,000-litre fill by €183. It is a simple measure. At a time when oil prices have soared by over €700 and household budgets are under unbearable pressure, that

have cut diesel by the maximum amount possible, but they did not. They could have removed excise, including the carbon tax on home heating oil, but they did not. That is where that frustration is coming from. People are struggling to heat their homes. Farmers, hauliers and coach … taken, it had to be brought kicking and screaming into this Chamber. Petrol and diesel are set to hit record prices, and home heating oil is already there. Energy credits have been pulled for over 300,000 households already in arrears on electricity bills. There has been