Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty TD has called on the Minister for Finance to cancel his government’s out-of-touch plans to push ahead with two separate tax hikes on petrol and diesel in October.

The Government will increase the price of petrol and diesel with a hike in the carbon tax on October 11th and a further excise duty increase on October 31st.

The Donegal TD was speaking ahead of Sinn Féin’s motion on the issue, which will be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday.

Teachta Doherty said:

“Petrol and diesel prices have increased steadily since May and have shot up again in the past number of weeks.

“Despite these price rises, the government plans to increase the price of petrol and the price of diesel twice more throughout October. The timing of these increases is atrocious and needs to be stopped.

“By the end of October, they will have increased the price of petrol by 10 cents per litre and the price of diesel by more than 8 cents per litre, pushing both closer to €2 per litre.

“Ordinary workers and families simply cannot afford these hikes in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

“I warned the Government that pressing ahead with these tax hikes was the wrong decision when prices and the international oil market remained volatile.

“Once again, we see that the longer that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are in government the worse things keep getting for those struggling with the cost of living. It’s time for change.

“That is why Sinn Féin is this week bringing forward a motion to the Dáil that calls on the government to reverse its plans to increase the price of petrol and diesel on October 11th and to reverse its plans to increase the price of petrol and diesel on October 31st.”

Sinn Féin’s motion can be read here.