'Atrocious' planned petrol and diesel price hikes must be scrapped - Conway-Walsh

MAYO Sinn Féin TD, Rose Conway-Walsh has called on the Minister for Finance to cancel plans to push ahead with two separate tax hikes on petrol and diesel in October.

Road fuel prices are set to increase with an increase in the carbon tax on October 11, followed by a further excise duty hike on October 31. These increases are set to raise the price of diesel by 8 cents a litre and petrol by 10 cents a litre. 

The government estimates that it will raise €9.5 billion from 2021 to 2030 through the carbon tax, which was agreed to as part of the Programme for Government. 

Part of this is to be used to fund €3 billion on targeted social welfare and other initiatives to prevent fuel poverty, €5 billion on retrofitting and €1.5 billion to encourage and incentivise farmers to farm more sustainably. 

Speaking ahead of a Sinn Féin’s motion calling for the tax hikes to be scrapped, Deputy Conway-Walsh described the timing of the increases as 'atrocious'.

"Petrol and diesel prices have increased steadily since May and have shot up again in the past number of weeks. Despite these price rises, the government plans to increase the price of petrol and the price of diesel twice more throughout October. The timing of these increases is atrocious and needs to be stopped," said Deputy Conway-Walsh. 

Her party are to present their motion during a Dáil debate later today (Tuesday).