Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has strongly criticised the government for their lack of action in protecting workers and families from further additional rises in the cost of living.

Teachta Crowe’s comments come in a week where petrol and diesel excise duties were restored and the government took advantage of rising inflation to up the toll prices across the road network.

Teachta Crowe said:

“This is a bad week for commuters. Faced with the restoration of excise duty on fuel and an imminent increase in the price of tolls on our roads, simply going to work has become a lot more expensive overnight. The M50 will see an increase of 20c-30c which means a daily commute both ways could cost over €150 extra a year.

“The Government cannot fall back on their old excuses about external factors affecting the cost of living. They chose to restore the excise duty on fuel. They chose to increase the tolls on our roads. This government cannot blame anybody but themselves for their choices.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have barely lifted a finger to keep workers and families safe from crippling rises in the cost of living. Now, they are going to slap commuters with these unacceptable increases while doing absolutely nothing to encourage business to promote alternatives like remote working.”