Govt 'must act now' to protect agri-food sector from fuel costs – Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny has called on the government to “act now to protect the agriculture and food production sector from rising fuel costs”.
The Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture and food said: “We are all feeling the financial pressure from increasing fuel costs whether it be home heating oil, petrol or diesel.
“Farmers are very dependent on green diesel for their tractors and operating agriculture machinery.
“Since the start of the war in Iran, the cost of green diesel has jumped by 50%.”
He added that fuel is “one of the biggest costs for agricultural contractors, who are busy this time of year spreading slurry and fertiliser”.
"The haulage sector, who plays a key role in delivering inputs to our farms and in turn distributing food produce to our shops and supermarkets are seeing their costs drastically increase with the cost of diesel at the forecourts."
He added: “These hikes in fuel prices are hitting the cost of food production right from the farm gate all the way until it gets to the shelf in the supermarket.”
‘Burden’
The Sligo-Leitrim TD highlighted the tax levy on fuel,
He said: “We know that 30% of the cost of green diesel and 60% of the cost of regular is made up of taxes and levies to the state.
“This burden must be reduced.
“Government must act now to reduce the cost of fuel and prevent these increases in cost of production being passed on to consumers in our shops and supermarkets.”
Deputy Kenny said that his party has introduced the Mineral Oil Tax (Emergency Cost of Living Reduction) Bill to cut excise duties on petrol, diesel and green diesel "and bring real relief to households and the agricultural sector".“Government must suspend their planned increase in carbon taxes and cut VAT on home-heating oil in line with the lower 9% rate applied to electricity and gas," he said.“The public cannot afford for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and their independent allies to remain spectators, they must act now to bring down prices and protect Irish agriculture and ultimately families from increased food prices.”
