The Government has announced a delay to a planned hike in fuel duty. 

Cuts were announced in the spring, following a surge in the cost of fossil fuel prices internationally. 

However, the cuts were due to expire on 1st September and 1st October. 

Now, the Government has said there has been yet another “change in the global situation” and decided to defer the increases. 

“Ultimately, the greatest economic intervention we can see is de-escalation in the Middle East - and that is still the case,” a spokesperson said. 

“We will continue to be agile and rule nothing out; work is also ongoing in relation to the Budget on 6th October. 

“The Government has been clear there will be decisive interventions in the Budget that will be framed around assisting people with the cost of living including to reward work, reduce costs, and protect the economy.” 

Ahead of the announcement, Sinn Féin had accused the Government of “deciding to make life harder for people by increasing the taxes on petrol and diesel”. 

“So, that's going to push the price of diesel beyond €2; most pumps that I've seen coming up from Donegal this morning were charging about €1.95,” Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty told The Claire Byrne Show. 

“An extra 10 cent is going to put it up beyond €2 and, obviously, the Government aren't finished there.

“They have five increases altogether between now and the 1st of December.”

Political pressure

Dáil Éireann is in recess until 16th September and Deputy Doherty described the increase as due to kick in before then to “avoid the political pressure” that comes from Dáil debates and questions. 

“The question here now is for Government who's elected by Irish people the length and breadth of this state is that their responsibility is to stand up and protect people, to protect workers that are going about work and just trying to earn a decent day's living,” he said. 

“Parents who are dropping their kids to school, people who live in rural communities who rely on their car. 

“What the Government's decision now on the 1st of September is, is to make life harder for them.” 

Deputy Doherty described Sinn Féin as having been “consistent” in arguing for reductions in excise duty and warned the Government the public favours an extension in the tax cut. 

“Do we want protests? Absolutely not,” he said. 

“When I was on the protests back in April, when I was standing there, with farmers, with contractors, with workers, nurses coming out from the hospital in their uniform, none of them wanted to be there.

“None of them will want to be there next week or next month either. 

“The ball is firmly in the Government's court; it's Micheál Martin and Simon Harris that will decide whether there's a protest the length and breadth of the State or not.”

Main image: A petrol pump. Picture by: Alamy.com.