I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion re cost of motoring. Last Wednesday, on the question, "That the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and that division must be taken now.
Cost of Motoring: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
Debate resumed on the following motion:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
— there are 11 toll roads in operation across the State, 10 of which are on the national roads network with two of these being in full public ownership and eight roads across the State are tolled under Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) with the Minister for Transport holding responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the National Roads Programme;
— motor tax can either be paid in one less expensive lump sum or more costly instalments disproportionately impacting lower-income motorists; and
— annual increases in Carbon taxes raise the price of motor fuels, with the Minister for Finance holding overall responsibility for tax policy;
regrets that:
— despite a raging cost of living crisis, motorists are faced with price hikes at every turn, particularly those living in rural areas, who are forced to use a private car due to the failure of successive Governments to put in place sustainable public transport options;
— the average cost of motor insurance rose by nine per cent last year to its highest point in five years, which is almost double the European average and over four times the rate of inflation; and
— Irish motorists pay some of the highest prices in the European Union for petrol and diesel;
further acknowledges that:
— private toll companies have recorded millions of euros in after-tax profits in the past year and the profits of motor insurance companies in the state have been way above industry norms in recent years;
— the existing gold-plated PPPs contracts that permit these toll increases, and generous traffic guarantee payments, are a legacy of bad economic policy choices and decisions made by successive Fianna Fáil-led administrations; and
— the Government's latest action plan to lower insurance premiums follows a similar action plan during their previous term which failed to make any difference;
condemns:
— the failure of the Government, in particular the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien to respond and include the necessary financial provisions in Budget 2026, and to cancel these planned increases and lessen the burden on workers, families, and businesses in the midst of the cost-of-living and fuel crisis; and
calls on the Government to:
— reverse the carbon tax increase of May 2025 on home heating oil and gas, reverse the carbon tax increase of October 2025 on diesel and petrol, and do not proceed with future scheduled increases;
— end the financial penalty imposed on people who cannot afford to pay motor tax in one single payment;
— stand up to insurance companies to ensure fair and stable motor insurance costs and to address the disproportionate profits in this industry;
— progress and enact Sinn Féin’s Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2021, to ensure the benefits of reforms are passed onto customers in the form of lower premiums, rather than captured as higher profits for insurance companies; and
— stop the proposed toll increases planned for January 2026.
-(Deputy Pa Daly)
Question put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 70; Níl, 82; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Ahern, Ciarán.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bennett, Cathy.
- Brady, John.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Byrne, Joanna.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Cullinane, David.
- Cummins, Jen.
- Daly, Pa.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrelly, Aidan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gibney, Sinéad.
- Gogarty, Paul Nicholas.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Graves, Ann.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Hayes, Eoin.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Hearne, Rory.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Eoghan.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, Paul.
- Lawlor, George.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGettigan, Donna.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McGuinness, Conor D.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
- Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Robert.
- O'Flynn, Ken.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Hara, Louis.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
- Quaide, Liam.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rice, Pádraig.
- Sheehan, Conor.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Wall, Mark.
- Ward, Charles.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Níl
- Aird, William.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Boland, Grace.
- Brabazon, Tom.
- Brennan, Brian.
- Brennan, Shay.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Butler, Mary.
- Butterly, Paula.
- Buttimer, Jerry.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Cahill, Michael.
- Callaghan, Catherine.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
- Clendennen, John.
- Collins, Niall.
- Connolly, John.
- Cooney, Joe.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Martin.
- Dempsey, Aisling.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Dolan, Albert.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
- Geoghegan, James.
- Harkin, Marian.
- Harris, Simon.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Keogh, Keira.
- Lawless, James.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Maxwell, David.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McCarthy, Noel.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McCormack, Tony.
- McGrath, Séamus.
- McGreehan, Erin.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Moynihan, Shane.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Maeve.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Meara, Ryan.
- O'Shea, John Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- Ó Muirí, Naoise.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Roche, Peter.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Timmins, Edward.
- Toole, Gillian.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell; Níl, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie.
Question declared lost.