Thomas says Government has left home heating oil users, carers and working families behind

Independent Ireland councillor Noel Thomas has said the Government’s response to rising fuel costs has failed to deal with the pressure facing households dependent on home heating oil, and does not go far enough to support carers, workers and families who rely on their cars every day.

Councillor Thomas said there is growing anger that while petrol and diesel measures are limited, the Government has effectively left those using kerosene to heat their homes and water stuck once again.

“In many homes across Galway, home heating oil is not a luxury — it is how people heat the house and the water,” said Councillor Thomas.

“At a time when the weather feels bitterly cold, that cost is a huge burden. The Government has left those families behind again.”

Councillor Thomas said the failure to properly address home heating oil is especially unfair on people already under pressure, including carers who spend their days travelling from house to house, workers commuting long distances, and rural families with no alternative to the car.

“There are carers out there every day depending on their car to get to work and to look after others. There are workers with no public transport option. There are families trying to keep the heat on and keep going. They needed real support, and they have not got it.”

He said people are also frustrated that the measures on petrol and diesel do not go far enough, and described the move on the NORA levy as wholly inadequate.

“Cutting the NORA levy is being dressed up as a serious intervention, but people will see it for what it is. That levy was supposed to help ensure fuel security, yet when prices rose sharply, ordinary people still got hit straight away. People will rightly ask what good it did for them.”

He said any reduction that is available on petrol and diesel should be passed on without delay once forecourts are selling cheaper stock.

“I would ask fuel forecourts to pass the reduction on as soon as their tanks have the cheaper fuel in them. People need to see any saving at the pump as quickly as possible.”

But Councillor Thomas said the bigger issue remains the failure to properly support households dependent on kerosene.

“This is the latest example of the Government moving too slowly and doing too little. Working families have been left stuck again, and those depending on home heating oil have been badly let down.”