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HomeFarming News‘Farmers and contractors are now asked to pay €50-€70/day in carbon tax alone’
Catherina Cunnane
Catherina Cunnanehttps://www.thatsfarming.com/
Catherina Cunnane hails from a sixth-generation drystock and specialised pedigree suckler enterprise in Co. Mayo. She currently holds the positions of editor and general manager at That's Farming, having joined the firm during its start-up phase in 2015.
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‘Farmers and contractors are now asked to pay €50-€70/day in carbon tax alone’

Carbon tax in Ireland: Increase from May 1st

Independent TD, Danny Healy-Rae, has declared that the government must “forget” about the forthcoming carbon tax increase in Ireland.

He said the carbon tax hike – which will come into effect on May 1st, 2022 – will mean that car users will fork out more than €10 more to fill their tanks.

The deputy added that lorry drivers will pay €80-€100 in carbon tax to fill their tanks in addition to excise duty and VAT. As a result, he revealed that he fears the haulage industry will “grind to a halt”.

During a Dáil debate on carbon tax this week, he told the house:

“Farmers and agricultural contractors are now being asked to pay €50-€70 per day in carbon tax alone to keep their tractors going.”

He said they are undertaking “vital” seasonal work to ensure a fodder supply for our animals and that crops are sown and reaped to have food for “all the people of our country”.

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Carbon tax in Ieland 

From next month, he told the Dáil that the carbon tax increase on top of the current carbon tax will mean people will have to pay €106.07 more in carbon tax on a 900L tank of home heating oil.

He said that his understanding was, in the first place, that the carbon tax on diesel, petrol and kerosene was a measure by the government to “coax people away from those fuels and types of vehicles to electric vehicles and to use electric heating in their homes”.

“However, the government does not have the infrastructure in place for electric cars, and it certainly does not have the facility to generate extra electricity.”

“The minister has to realise that the savage global increase in the cost of fuels in the past six months makes fuel already more expensive than people can bear or afford.”

“This carbon tax has not one iota of an effect on reducing emissions. The government must realise that enough is enough, and there is a place called stop,” he stressed.

Alternative energy

He accused the current government of making “no attempt” to provide alternative energy since it started.

He said, “it has closed down Bord na Móna, and the cost of electricity has gone up every day”.

“There is no real alternative, only drawing coal from Russia to keep Moneypoint going. Also, there are incentives in place for private sources to supply energy to the grid.”

“There are several options that could be explored, such as solar panels. People could be exempted from tax on those.”

“I ask the minister to ensure that, if he opens up that scheme, he will not raid people’s properties that are supplying carbon tax,” he concluded.

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