Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has hit out at the Government for implementing the second phase of its Solid Fuel Carbon Tax, without implementing programmes to protect the working poor and elderly from the price rises due to this new tax.

The tax applies to kerosene, marked gas oil, liquid petroleum gas, fuel oil, natural gas and solid fuels, and from today it will add €1.20 to the price of a bag of coal and 24 cents to price of a bale of briquettes.

Deputy Crowe said:

“Climate change is one of the most serious issues affecting our planet and we call need to do our best to reduce our carbon footprint.

“However the most recent Census figures show that more than 200,000 people in Ireland rely on either coal or peat to heat their home. The reality is that lower income families are more likely to have solid fuel heating systems and therefore this is essentially a burdening extra tax on them.

“A price increase of this magnitude will disproportionately affect people on lower incomes, the elderly and the vulnerable. These groups are already finding it hard enough to get by and adding another €1.20 onto the price of a bag of coal is a step too far.

“This increase needs to be viewed against Ireland’s unacceptably high rate of fuel poverty and excessive winter death rate. It is believe that between 1,500 and 2,000 mainly elderly people die each winter from cold-related illness due directly to fuel poverty.

“The Government should have taken this into account and the very minimum they should be doing is ensuring that they protect people who are already struggling to try and heat their homes.”

ENDS