Carbon tax to create more hardship for cash-strapped households – Smith
Today, May 1, marks the introduction of a new carbon tax and Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD, Brendan Smith, has expressed serious concerns about its introduction.
The Cavan-Monaghan Deputy says the new tax on solid fuels, which takes effect today, means that the price of a 40kg bag of coal will rise by as much as €1.20, with cost of briquettes also increasing.
“This will have a severe impact on older people and families who cannot pay their basic household bills as it is. Many people across Cavan and Monaghan are having serious difficulty finding the money to pay for fuel due to the prolonged winter. This new tax will make a bad situation worse,' Deputy Smith said.
'The very last thing that cash-strapped households need is an increase in the price of coal or briquettes. Many households have gone back to using solid fuels considering the price hikes in oil and gas. These people simply cannot afford to pay more to heat their homes.
'The plan for the carbon tax was initiated before the recession hit when there were higher levels of emissions. The Government has simply failed to take into account the hardship caused by freezing temperatures over the past number of months and has refused my party's request to have this tax deferred.
“In addition to the impact on households, local fuel providers will also suffer as a result of this tax. They are likely to see a drop in demand resulting in a drop in revenue, at a time when many local retailers are already struggling to keep their businesses alive.
'The Government needs to start considering the serious difficulties facing so many households in Cavan, Monaghan and across the country, and stop imposing extra costs on ordinary people who simply cannot afford it,” Deputy Smith concluded.