SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald said that if her party is elected to power in the upcoming general election, they will undo the latest fuel excise increases instated by the government in August and October, as well abolishing increases that have not yet come in but have been set out in the latest budget.

On 1 August of this year, the price of diesel rose by 4 cents per litre, while petrol rose by 3 cents per litre. It was the second fuel price hike in three months. 

In Budget 2025, Minister for Finance Jack Chambers announced that the rate per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted by petrol and diesel vehicles would increase from €56 to €63.50 from 9 October – an increase of  just over 13%.

The increase is to be applied to all other fuels from 1 May 2025.

Speaking today, McDonald said Sinn Féin would both abolish future increases provisioned in the budget and reverse the two fuel price increases if brought to power, which she said collectively added per litre 6c to diesel and 5.5c to petrol.

She said that the price hikes were brought in at a time of a serious cost of living crisis, and said that the increases were affecting workers and families.

“In the middle of this crisis for workers and families, government have increased tax on fuel to such a level that we now have the highest taxes in Europe on petrol and diesel and Fiona fall and Fine Gael are determined to increase those even further,” she said.

“Since 2020, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have added 12 euros to a tank of fuel, and they have committed to increase it again by a further seven euros a tank over the next five years. That is 12 cents on every litre of fuel.”

McDonald added that the reversal of the two price increases would be a permanent measure for the lifetime of the next government, and that Sinn Féin would also offset the increase to the toll fee due to come in on 1 January, at a cost of €8 million.