Editorial: Fuel price measures won’t cut the mustard for hard-pressed Kilkenny families and farmers

The measures announced by the Government this week to tackle the soaring cost of fuels and the sheer scale of the crisis fall a considerable way short of what will be required to alleviate considerable hardship.

The extension of the Fuel Allowance is a welcome support for households most at risk of energy poverty. However, the Government’s decision to reduce excise duty on petrol and diesel by small amounts does not go anywhere near to bringing the cost of fuel down effectively.

A 22c cut on diesel belies the fact that it has increased by 50c. Petrol will also be cut by a smaller margin than that of its recent increases. For those dependent on home heating oil, the measures make for little solace. There needs to be a serious, meaningful solution if these people are to heat their homes.

Farmers are feeling the pinch. Nothing announced this week will make a major difference to the farmer’s ability to pay bills or continue producing. Farm machinery relies heavily on fuel — an unavoidable cost. Now, the busy tillage season begins and silage season looms. It seems inevitable the price of food will go up.
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And, as Macra chief, Kilkenny’s Josephine O’Neill has pointed out, rising fuel prices are having a direct impact on both daily living and farm operations. Young people in rural areas must have access to a car, with limited public transport options available. Anyone who commutes to work or relies on a private car faces similar woes.

One thing the crisis is again showing up is the need for a significant investment in both bus and rail capacity. The current ongoing situation and global market volatility has also highlighted the need for Ireland to pursue energy independence through the use of renewables, including wind and solar energy.

We can no longer be beholden to the whims of billionaire oil barons, multinational price gouging, and world leaders who behave erratically and increasingly contrary to the interests of the average person.