Sunday, September 2, 2012

Record fuel prices must be taken into account in next budget - Sinn Féin

The record prices for petrol and diesel we are seeing at the pumps will have to be taken into account by the government before they introduce budget 2013 according to the Chairperson of County Wexford Sinn Féin.  Oisin O' Connell said that the rising fuel prices are already seriously impacting on ordinary families, but are also having an adverse affect on struggling businesses, the transport industry and the agri sector.

Mr O' Connell said;

"The escalating prices of fuel at the pumps over the past two weeks has been frightening and shows no sign of settling yet.  The rise in prices has already had an heavy impact on ordinary families who have found their weekly transport costs dramatically increased.  They will feel this increase more later in the year as it is a certainty that as fuel prices rise so too will everything else."

"Struggling businesses have been struck hard by the rising prices.  The transport industry has been particularly exposed.  Many businesses will not survive.  Sinn Féin has called on the government to lower its tax on petrol and diesel in a bid to create stability.  At the moment the government takes €6 in every €10 spent at the pump through levees and duties."

"The agri sector has already been devastated by the bad weather conditions over the summer months.  The rise in fuel will be profoundly felt by this industry.  Fuel is one of the main expenditure items on farms.  Agricultural diesel has gone up by a massive 55% while road diesel has increased by almost 35% in the past two years.  Farmers have actually had to increase their fuel usage this year due to the extreme weather conditions."

"In last December’s budget Fine Gael and Labour added 1c on a litre of fuel.  In the three years before that Fianna Fáil added 14c onto the price of a litre of petrol and diesel.  It goes without saying that no further increase can be tolerated in budget 2013.  Instead the government needs to cut its excise duty on fuel immediately."

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