News From OilFiredUp
RSS
Irish Government Urged To Resist Fossil Fuel Tax Increase
21st November 2009
Many commentators in the Republic of Ireland are forecasting a general tax across all fossil fuels in the country's forthcoming Budget.
Ahead of the Budget, The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) has pointed out that many Irish consumers are already struggling to pay existing bills. In that context, a new carbon tax on home heating fuel would be most unwelcome, claims the training, standards and registration agency for the oil heating industry throughout the British Isles.
Damien Keenan from OFTEC in the Republic of Ireland commented, "The incidence of fuel poverty has declined over a long period as a result of rising household income levels and improved housing standards.
"With inflated energy costs and the current recession now biting, a tax on home heating oil could force more consumers into fuel poverty. We have written to Minister Lenihan TD pointing out that reintroducing a levy on domestic heating would cause severe and long term damage to consumers already struggling to survive the recession".
"The current requirement for the installation of condensing boilers in the Republic of Ireland is already reducing C02 emissions; we see the imposition of a further tax as regressive and unfair to the fuel poor", added Damien.
Minister Lenihan will present the country's 2010 Budget to the Irish Parliament on Wednesday 9 December 2009.
