Offaly councillor says 'government’s failure to act on soaring fuel costs is unacceptable'

Offaly councillor Aoife Masterson confirmed that Sinn Féin will bring a motion before the Dáil this week demanding urgent action to tackle the soaring cost of home heating oil, petrol and diesel.

The Private Members’ motion, which will be debated on Wednesday, calls on the government to immediately intervene to reduce fuel prices and scrap planned tax increases on home heating oil.

Sinn Féin's Aoife Masterson said the debate will give Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Independents who prop them up an opportunity to finally act to protect workers and families facing severe financial pressure.

She stated: "Press releases and statements are all well and good, but actions speak louder than words. The fact is, workers and families have been struggling through an unrelenting cost-of-living crisis and the rapid rise in the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil is making an already difficult situation far worse."

The Tullamore-based councillor continued: "In just one week, the price of home heating oil here jumped by more than 27%, compared with an EU average of just over 3%.

For many households this means the cost of filling a tank has soared to nearly €1,800. Meanwhile, in one week alone, the government received an extra €38 million in VAT due to rising fuel prices."

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Sinn Féin’s motion calls on the government to scrap planned tax increases on home heating oil, due to take effect on 1 May, and to reduce the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil by implementing Sinn Féin’s Mineral Oil Tax (Emergency Cost of Living Reduction) Bill 2026.

Cllr Masterson is adamant that immediate intervention is needed to combat the ongoing soaring fuel costs. "Households in Offaly and across the state are under enormous pressure and yet Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael continue to sit on their hands while costs spiral.

Record numbers of households are already struggling to pay their energy bills, with hundreds of thousands in arrears and many more on the brink. The number of people at risk of poverty has also increased."

She added: "This weekend in Tullamore in just two hours over 200 people signed a petition in support of this Bill. Government’s failure to act on soaring fuel costs is simply unacceptable. It is morally and ethically bankrupt to see so many struggling and still rake in ever increasing profits profits.

Aoife Masterson said the debate will allow TDs to decide whether they stand with struggling households or with a government refusing to act.

"Families are being hammered by rising costs. This motion gives the government and every TD an opportunity to back immediate action to bring fuel prices down and provide real relief to households.

I am urging Deputies Clendennen, McCormack, and Nolan to prioritise the needs of the people who elected them and support this Bill."

The Sinn Féin councillor concluded: "This government cannot continue to fiddle while Rome burns and people in Offaly cannot continue to pay the price for this government's failures."