'Too little, too late': Longford MEP says Government fuel package 'gaps' must be addressed

Longford MEP Ciaran Mullooly has confirmed he will meet with senior officials from DG Energy, the European Commission’s department responsible for EU energy policy, in the coming week to examine what role the EU can now play in supporting Ireland and ensuring a more coordinated response to the crisis.

He stated he is continuing to press for a full EU-level response, including maximum State aid flexibility, frontloading of CAP payments and a new EU emergency resilience instrument.

Mr Mullooly said he was also expecting an announcement from the Commission in a matter of days to address fertiliser and other farm inputs costs.

He stated the Government’s reported €505 million fuel support package falls short of what is required to address the scale of the crisis facing households, farmers, hauliers and rural communities, warning that significant gaps, delays and uncertainties remain.

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"The Midlands North West MEP said that while the package represents movement, it does not reflect the reality on the ground.
“The Government has acted, but it has acted too late and it has not acted at the scale required.

"The cost of diesel has increased by close to 50 cent per litre in recent weeks. The latest measures provide just 10 cent of additional relief. That still leaves workers, contractors and businesses paying roughly 40 cent more per litre. That is not sustainable.”

Mr Mullooly also raised serious concerns about the lack of meaningful new direct support for households dependent on home-heating oil.

“For many families in rural Ireland, kerosene is essential. The main new measure here is the deferral of a carbon tax increase. That does not reduce current costs - it simply delays a further increase. For households already under pressure, that is not enough.”

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Mullooly said there are significant concerns around how the supports will operate in practice.

“There is still significant uncertainty and a lack of clarity around how these schemes will be delivered. The system must be simple, accessible and fast.

"Farmers need to know that all legitimate fuel purchases, including smaller and local supplier receipts, will be accepted. If this becomes overly complicated or delayed, it simply will not work.”

He said urgent clarification is needed on the inclusion of agricultural contractors.

“The Government must confirm immediately that agricultural contractors are fully included in the rebate based on 2025 diesel usage. In the past, contractors were excluded from carbon tax rebates. There must be no repeat of that failure.”