In this article, the leader of the Rural Independent Group, deputy Mattie McGrath on its behalf, warns that economic disaster beckons without radical policy changes.
Are net zero climate dogma and exorbitant carbon and energy taxes more important to the government than the entire Irish economy, rural communities, and its people?
Budget 2023 is full of half-baked and short-sighted measures, doing absolutely nothing to reduce the cost of energy, despite the worst energy price crisis to hit Ireland since the 1970s.
Everyone outside the political bubble within FF, FG, and the Green Party can see that almost nothing is being done to address the underlying reasons for Ireland’s economic and energy cost crisis.
This week’s budget announcement presented the perfect platform to change course. However, as expected, a leopard does not change its spots.
Economic depression
Instead, what we observed was more of the same – an increase in the inflationary carbon tax and handouts to energy suppliers disguised as public aid.
Failure by the government to address the underlying causes of energy cost surges means the country faces years of inflation and, in all likelihood, a major economic depression unless the government radically changes its energy policy position.
We have consistently challenged the government to change direction and abandon its suicidal net-zero targets, which are effectively preventing solutions and adding significantly to the catastrophic energy cost crisis.
Consistently, the government has blatantly ignored our plans; instead, they cling to the green nirvana and do absolutely nothing.
Carbon tax
Failure, yet again in Budget 2023, to change trajectory and establish viable alternative energy plans means that the time for action is running out.
The climate maxim, at the heart of this government, is banning drilling for cheaper and cleaner domestic oil and gas.
This maxim is also blocking the storage of cheaper LNG, which could bring hundreds of euros in savings for consumers in their electric and gas bills.
Giving an energy handout to everyone, which ultimately goes to energy suppliers, lacks creativity and change and will potentially drive-up prices further.
Equally, hiking the unfair carbon tax to €48.50 per tonne will hurt everyone.
It will add:
- €1.50 to a tank of motor fuel;
- €20 to a 900-litre tank of home heating oil;
- Almost €1 to a bag of coal.
How it will impact you
Ultimately, the tax will hit an average household for over €600 and a family farm for €1,260 in 2023.
Example: Households
Based on figures compiled from the Revenue Commissioners’ carbon taxation data, the ‘conservative direct’ financial impact of the carbon tax on the average household is:
Year Euro amount per household
2022 521
2023 609
2024 697
2025 785
2026 874
2027 961
2028 1,049
2029 1,137
2030 1,225
TOTAL: 7,858
Note: For a family farm in rural Ireland, the financial pain of the carbon tax in 2023 alone will amount to a minimum of €609 + €650 = €1,260
However, it is important to note and acknowledge that the carbon tax burden has many additional ‘hard to quantify’ cost increases across the entire economy.
For example, the tax increases the costs of every good and service that is transported and/or uses energy to make or deliver. These are the ‘indirect’ costs associated with the carbon tax policy.
Climate dogma
The carbon tax hike is simply another indication that the government is entrapped by climate dogma.
It shows the three government parties are ‘out’ on two fronts: touch and ideas. This situation is so dire that we need the government to choose between saving the economy and saving net zero. There simply is not a third way.
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‘It represents a cow cull’ – Rural TDs angered by lack of funding for suckler farmers
