Fianna Fáil is expected to table a motion on reducing the excise duty on petrol and diesel. No, this is not a broken record.
The party is expected to hold a Private Members’ Motion in the Dáil later on today (not too much later) that would see a reduction in prices to motorists on the forecourts of about six cent per litre.
However, the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, has come out and said that Fianna Fáil was reverting to “wishful thinking” and that they’re in an “economic dreamland”. Sure weren’t we all…
According to Minister Noonan, when Fianna Fáil were in government they made an agreement among the EU nations that Governments would not react to spikes in petrol prices by making temporary adjustments, which is what Fianna Fáil basically wants to do.
Minister Noonan then went on to say that petrol prices were coming down now anyway and that they only rose because of ‘international events’, reports RTÉ.
However, Fianna Fáil’s Finance Spokesman Michael McGrath said, “Clearly it is having a very depressing effect on the economy.
“I think a lot of discretionary trips are being postponed. It is changing behaviours, and we believe that there is scope and an opportunity to bring about a reduction at the forecourts and to give people some relief.”
