The Government has been urged not to “proceed” with their plans to increase excise duty rates on petrol, diesel and marked gas oil (green diesel) from next month by Sinn Féin.
As part of Budget 2024 the Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, outlined that temporary excise rate reductions – which had been introduced in 2022 in response to higher fuel prices caused by the war in Ukraine – would end on March, 31, 2024.
From April 1, 2024 there will be an increase of 4c on petrol, 3c on diesel, and 1.5c on marked gas oil. This is as farmers and contractors will be preparing machinery for silage season ahead.
There will be a further increase increase of 4c/L on petrol, 3c on diesel, and 1.5c on marked gas oil in August.
The Minister for Finance told the Dáil last month that he had “no plans to postpone the excise restorations”.
Green diesel
But the Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, Claire Kerrane, has warned that restoring the excise rates on fuel would see family farmers face “additional price hikes” when they are already experiencing high input costs.
Deputy Kerrane said: “Many farmers are already facing soaring input costs and can little afford additional price hikes when it comes to green diesel.
“The planned increases would also affect families living in rural areas, who rely on their cars to travel to work and indeed for all trips that they take.
“Fuel prices have risen by more than 30% in the past three years. Making petrol, diesel and green diesel even more expensive at this time is the wrong call”.
She said that although the government has said it wants to support family farmers and those living in rural communities an increase in the price of fuel at this time would “fly in the face of that”.
“They must show flexibility and understanding of the challenges so many farmers and those living in rural communities are facing with regard to costs by cancelling the planned tax increases on fuel,” Deputy Kerrane added.