Councillor says government have to sit down and talk to fuel cost protesters

Editor,

The government must sit at the table today. The national fuel tax protest is in its fourth day. Nothing is ever solved except at the negotiating table.

So many countries from Poland to Italy, Australia to Spain, have cut excise rates by up to half, and most have a much better public transport system than us.

Rural Ireland in particular needs fuel to work, commute, and run businesses or farms.

More than half our fuel price is tax so there is plenty room for reduction.

While this national movement against excessive tax on fuel has discommoded many commuters, the thousands in the protest all around the country have sacrificed a week’s work, and time at their homes and with their families.

They have done it to make a clear stand for their livelihoods and the security for all our food, goods, services, and our ability to travel.

I ask: why did the bodies that should be representing them not demand meetings early in the week and come to a fair compromise?

What’s needed straight away here is a fair cut to excise fuel tax for the hauliers, farmers, bus operators and small and medium businesses.

Alternatively, they will all be closing down with a huge loss to government tax take.

Government have met individual businesses and concerns for years on a range of issues. Why then not sit down today with the representatives of thousands of small business and farmers who keep this country going on behalf of all of us?

As well as that, the 700,000 plus Irish households on home heating oil (53 % of rural homes) are also crucified.

The increase in home heating oil here was eight times higher than the overall EU average rise, as Irish prices rose 27% in one week compared to a 3.3% average increase across other EU states. Hardly equitable.

Just like in the Middle East, you must sit at the table and work out a reasonable agreement in the interest of all and allow the brave workers to go home to their families.

This is national issue also disproportionately affects rural homes, workers, services and businesses.

This massive protest is made up of hard working fellow citizens who are there for the right reasons.

If a few with other issues somehow join the protest, it should not diminish the core message and the genuine issues of why it was organised.

Turning the gardaí and the army on our own working people was never the answer.

Sitting at a table and coming up with a fair solution is.

Sincerely,

Cllr Denis Leonard,

Kinnegad.