From Leinster House, Deputy Mattie McGrath, leader of the Rural Independent Group, revealed these figures obtained through a parliamentary question, and strongly asserted:
“These figures expose the government’s exploitation of citizens amidst the energy price crisis. The government is gaining profits from the difficulties of regular people through exploitative taxes.”
“Last year, the government collected a record €3.75 billion in energy taxes, representing an increase of nearly €500 million or 15% from the previous year. Specifically, carbon tax and energy VAT income alone surged by 30.7%, increasing from €1.681 billion in 2020 to €2.196 billion in 2021. These figures expose the government’s real motives of taking advantage of the public despite citizens’ facing unprecedented cost-of-living pressures.”
“My colleagues and I from the Rural Independent Group have persistently advocated for more relief measures for rural communities, farmers, and vulnerable citizens who depend on vehicles and heating systems. We think that the government’s energy tax policies are exploitative. It is cruel to raise VAT and Carbon Tax revenues from fuel and energy during a cost-of-living crisis. That is why we submitted Dáil motions urging the government to set the energy VAT rate and carbon tax to zero until the crisis abates.”
“The acknowledgment of the collection of a record €790.3 million in carbon taxes last year, which averages about €160 per individual in Ireland, is unfair not only to urban residents but also to rural dwellers, indicating how the government is exploiting society’s most susceptible members.”
“The government’s decision to grudgingly extend minimal excise reliefs for fuels on a staggered basis until October is a grossly insufficient response to the energy price crisis. It’s a meagre gesture that does nothing to alleviate the crushing financial burden placed on ordinary people while the government continues to exploit its citizens by raking in exorbitant energy taxes. These taxes will only serve to ensure that energy prices remain prohibitively high, further compounding the suffering of those already struggling to make ends meet.”
Deputy McGrath concluded by emphasizing that: “the government’s actions are deplorable, and that they must prioritize the well-being of its citizens above all else. The government must stop exploiting its citizens for financial gain and end this unjust financial burden on ordinary people.”
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