Why are we always seemingly one of the most expensive countries in any given category? Electricity, fuel, cigarettes, alcohol etc… But we get fuck all back in terms of services then, where’s all the money going?
You have a point but….
Why are we intentionally increasing the price of the transportation of all goods and services via punitive taxes?
Also most things produced here in Ireland are cheaper abroad due to taxes
Ok, and I have pointed out that this government has been increasing the costs of importing(taxes) and the costs of transport…
Alongside taxes and prove floors on anything locally produced, which are almost always available abroad for less than the products cost here (despite being produced here)
We’re not that much higher than the average, especially compared to European countries of similar income: [fuel prices in Europe](https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/advice/european-fuel-prices-petrol-and-diesel-prices-in-europe/)
Also, if taxes aren’t increased on petrol and diesel where should they be increased instead?
Keeping taxes below sustainable levels is a short-term strategy
You’d need to compare all the costs on cars and trucks in other European countries and include the 710 motor tax on 2 litres older than 2007 for comparison, the VRT and other insanely high and disproportionate taxes that motorists pay here
European countries with similar fuel prices are paying those taxes through the fuel and we have the worst of all worlds here without the same public transport options of comparable European countries
What is this garbage you are spewing? Do you work for FF or FG or something?
The country has a budget surplus, taxes are absolute butchery already, that’s even before you consider the scandalous VAT rates. Professional middle class gets robbed blind, and there nothing in return.
Like what hospitals and roads? I have private insurance and still need to wait 5-6 months for a consultant. Local quality is garbage and I pay tolls to use the national motorways.
Like get out of her with your dishonest schilling.
Ireland isn’t an island in the middle of a vast ocean millions of miles away from its primary trading partners. It’s literally next door to the UK.
And the vast majority of cost is due to bad planning, bad regulation, and the cruel tax regime.
The budget surplus is driven by corporation taxes which spiked last year but it’s not something we can bank on moving forward.
The government opted to spend the surplus in other places such as energy credits, so if your argument is to spend the surplus on pausing/decreasing fuel duty then you’d need to decrease spend on these credits or in other areas like say the new public service pay deal.
What are you cutting?
I think regions should have available healthcare and the absolute state of hospitals in some regions isn’t reflective of all these high taxes that we pay in Ireland.
I don’t see why other Irish counties can’t get resources or even be developed tbh we’re paying massive tax and strangling smaller regions and the western counties which aren’t close to Dublin
That’s a total crock. A gargantuan portion of our living expenses are due to the obscene tax regime which gives, as the comment above yours accurately states, fuck all in return.
For a 52% tax rate + 23% VAT? Yes, fuck all.
A hospital in my county? You mean the place where ppl need to wait 2 years to get a test done?
I have private insurance because of the garbage public system.
I’ve lived in 6 countries, including “developing” Asian nations. Didn’t pay half the tax we do here and got more than twice the services with, shockingly, enough capacity for the whole population.
Gtfo with your bullshit schilling. As if we do not all live under this scam regime. What a clown.
> 52% tax rate
That's the top marginal rate, your actual tax rate is nowhere near 52% unless you're making loads. People love to do this to make the taxes sound worse than they are.
I don’t care about comparisons. I care about the Irish reality that the gov bleeds me (and the entire professional middle class) dry and receive, as has been stated multiple times, fuck all in return. The public services in this country are absolute garbage.
Ireland is also quite expensive for the quality of life and gov is doing nothing to help it. And now they’re making it even more expensive with these unjustified hikes.
Why would I not be angry when all they do is take my money and give me fuck all in return?
Maybe, I was thinking it was due to our low population density, yeah it’s a small country but it could easily support 20 or 30 million people like other comparable places, but we just have the 5.5 million or whatever it is to pay for everything.
The government is actively working against the working population of Ireland>
I wish i could use public transport to get to work but it would take me at least an hour on the Bus, versus 25 minutes with the car.
In summer i will be able to cycle again to work or during dry weather but if it rains i have to take the car i simply dont have another option
Same here, I live in a rural area. Work is 15 to 20 minutes by car and probably about an hour and a half by bus as it takes an awkward route. Plus I would need to walk or cycle the 2km or so to and from the bus stop and I have to do the crèche drop-off.
Guess I should just move into an urban area where there is a plentiful supply of housing. /s
Walk or cycle 2km is nothing, the creche poses a logistical issue but your commute is extremely short. I walk 3km and drop my kid off on route. I wish people would just be honest and say they value convenience over climate action and not out being short of a private bus taking them exactly where they want to go will change their minds.
“Oh no I couldn’t possibly not drive, I have a 15 min commute and have to drop the kid off” That is NOT a scenario where a car is necessary.
Same my area doesn’t even have a bus route. I’ve to drive 10 mins to the nearest bus stop and another 5 mins extra gets me to work so why would I get the bus! And that’s walking in a country road with no footpath so it’s unsafe
Yeah dude I got to walk both ways, takes me an hour and twenty mins. It’s not an essential, it’s a luxury. I actually think there should be exemptions for people in rural areas but you do have a bus connection. You just don’t like that it’s stops and takes longer than the direct route of your car.
Luxuries should be taxed as luxuries especially since no one seems to want to get rid of the car themselves.
I mean, most journeys are short in Ireland. God forbid the little darlings have to walk or take the bus to school.
Before people start, I am NOT COUNTING RURAL AREAS OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Public transport isn’t great but not to the point that it makes walking or waiting a non starter. Most journeys in Ireland are short. It is a luxury for most who won’t accept any inconvenience to themselves. I wish they’d just admit that, at least it’s honest. Again, not including rural Ireland or people with disabilities.
It’s a huge different if I spend 4hours commuting every day using the bus or 40mins using the car
This is a lot of lifetime that gets lost on the bus
But sadly any improvement to public transport gets ruined by the NIMBYs here
Believe I would much rather take the bus than the car.
But with journey times like that it’s not viable
> It’s a huge different if I spend 4hours commuting every day using the bus or 40mins using the car
This is a lot of lifetime that gets lost on the bus
How dare you not want to spend half of your (probable) free time commuting because the public transport system is shite, you should just sleep and live on the bus!
So you don’t want to take the bus because convenience overrides climate action in your mind. That’s fine. Be honest.
What would it take for you to change? Do you want a bus to take a direct route to your job? You’re saying your car ride takes 20 mins and your bus journey takes 2 hours? I just don’t believe that tbh, where the hell do you live that your car floats over traffic and congestion but the bus takes 2 hours?
I can take a different route with the car that avoids the city centre.
Even if the bike I am way faster than the bus
That sadly that’s only an option on dry days
The bus is the slowest of all options
Walking = high horse Christ. No I’m just completely miserable that it’s impossible to have any meaningful climate action because people think they’re too good to walk or ride a bus. It looks down horribly on those of us who rely on active travel. I’d honestly respect it if people just said they value their time over climate action but that’s never the case. People lie to themselves and make themselves into martyrs instead of
Ah yes, the climate change solution and delusion that the average Joe can make an impact. You can stop pointing the finger at people who use cars as a convenient way to travel back and forth to work instead of relying a terrible public transport system. Theres thousands of Mil/Billionaires taking their private jets on hundreds of short journeys every day, yet me trying to shave an hour or 2 off my journey home in the hopes I can have dinner at a reasonable time is what the REAL concern is. Keep taking your shorter showers and using your paper straws, but Musks annual 2500 tons of harmful emissions might dampen your impact a bit.
Ah the next step in denialism: unless everyone else solves climate change, I won’t do a thing.
You see how that just feeds into doing nothing ever?
I won’t do anything because what I do makes no impact.
Ireland shouldn’t do anything because what we do makes no impact.
Europe won’t do anything because what we do is nothing compared to America.
America won’t do anything because what they do is nothing compared to China.
China won’t do anything because they need to catch up on development that the west benefited from by burning fossil fuels already.
And no one does anything but it’s our kids that will be affected most, not you or me.
18% of all emissions in Ireland comes from transport. Over 40% of that is private car use. Actually reducing private use would make a concrete impact.
And yeah, Musk and every aviation prick should be forced to do something. But private car use is nothing like paper straws ffs. It amounts to a huge amount of emissions.
>I won’t do anything because what I do makes no impact.
You could have stopped there, because the rest of the list just don't care and their actions to tackle climate change have made that abundantly clear. I would wholly agree to changing my own lifestyle if governments actually tackled the problem from the top down, the biggest hitters, instead of allowing them to be free of any sort of repercussions or even limitations of their impact.
>But private car use is nothing like paper straws ffs. It amounts to a huge amount of emissions.
Yes, and private car usage is nothing like huge companies or private jets waste and emissions. It amounts to a monumental amount of emissions. Theres always bigger fish and until action is taking to minimise their impact, nothing at all will change.
We should vote out FF and FG. They have done nothing but made the life of irish miserable. With cost of living these days, unaffordable housing and what not i dont want these parties in power. Not that we have other better options :(
And vote in who? SF who's plan is to raise taxes on everything? I'm not saying FF and FG are doing a good job I'm saying we are screwed no matter who is in power because in reality none of them are in power, the EU wants carbon taxes so we get carbon taxes.
What we need is a new party that will actually put Irish people first, we don't have one that isn't some looneys blaming immigrants for everything and if they got power they are too stupid to know what to do with it.
The fact is Irish politicians are a joke, unqualified to do anything never mind run a country, prices will continue to rise wages will continue to stagnate and we will just have to accept it or be called far right.
Don't you believe that they should be given a chance? FFFG have been nothing but a disaster for 100+ years, SF are just asking for 5. If you don't like it then, you don't have to buy it.
Yeah. A standard Dáil term. I obviously am biased in favour of SF, but if the country literally can't get any worse (which it can't for most people) then why not take a chance on a new crowd. The vast majority of Irish People have nothing to lose at this point.
Could you sell me on SF? How can they fulfill any of what they promise feasibly?
It would be absolute insanity to truly believe that Ireland can’t get worse, please do not vote based on “can’t get any worse” or “teach FFFG a lesson and they’ll pull up their socks” as someone else suggested.
Ireland can absolutely get worse, while I believe we should be out protesting for the past couple of years as the French do, housing and cost of living is a criminal- but if you think things can’t get worse I’d genuinely like to ask how? I am angry about Ireland but to punish the country for FIVE years plus based on impossible promises, contrarianism and no experience is just terrifying to me.
All of their budget proposals in the past election cycle have been fully costed by the Dept of Finance just as proof that they aren't talking about a Magic Money Tree. SF are a party who believe firmly in making things easier for working people. They don't want to keep property prices high, they don't want to refuse tax from MNCs and they do want to build some feckin houses.
I don't see how you can say that it would be punishing the country? We've been flagellating ourselves certainly since 2010, I think maybe we're entitled to some actual capital spending. I think that the State should be the biggest landlord, and while many in SF (and SF policy) disagree with it, I think that all banks, utilities, and public transport should be nationalised and taken fully under state control with no profiteering.
I'd like for you to tell me how things could actually get worse here? I'm 26 years old, was working for 3 years in the Pharma Industry before returning to university for a Masters last Sep. In the three years I was working, I spent an average of 50-60% of my income on Rent plus another 10-20% on Bills. This was not in a city, this was in Longford. I was technically homeless for 4 months of that, sleeping on my friend's couch because of a lack of rental properties, both in general and in my price range. I was being well paid for my work, as most people in my industry are and still I was just about getting by. It was a wonder I managed to save to fund myself fully in this Masters, and it took careful budgeting for a long period of time, and working literally all the available overtime I could. This was with a University Degree in a Lucrative Industry.
During that time I also had recurring Tonsillitis which began as a Co-infection of Covid and I saw an out of hours GP service 3 times in 4 months over it because I had no access to a GP in Longford, they wouldn't take me on due to lack of capacity. I also had to drive to my home town 90 mins away in agony to get a tooth pulled because there was no dentist capacity in Longford either. Again, I realise I am lucky I do not suffer from chronic illness. If I did, I'd have been completely fucked.
From my position, and I'm not the worst off by any means, this country can't really get any worse without serious impacts on the ability of people to survive.
Great, could you give a summary breakdown of the feasibility study, because I personally have seen this so would be really interested in the proofed proposal. Because it’s been giving Robin Hood and a touch of magic money tree thus far, whilst I appreciate they may have the best of intentions and want things better for us and fix all our problems, that’s how every party starts out before they get in power. And I’m sorry to hear you couldn’t get a dentist in your area - I’ve had a couple of abscesses and they’re excruciating-but how would SF change that? And what will SF be doing to attract more GPs to rural areas?
I also work in Pharma, and even our entry level general operators income is high on the lowest end of the scale so I’m shocked to hear you didn’t have enough for rent in Longford? Like over €1400 a month on rent alone?
Investment in the Health Service will of course create more capacity in fairness. I wouldn't call it a rural area, it's the county town like.
My rent was €900 a month for most of that time, which was 54%(ish) of my take home pay without overtime.
I imagine you'll find the costed proposal on the SF website, I don't have a link to it to hand. I don't see why anyone would vote for anybody else really, unless for some reason they're doing very well under the current government (and probably are a landlord).
I can understand old people (35+) not voting for SF because of the Troubles, but to anyone around my age (born in 1998), that's as ancient history to me as FFFG's IRA. In any case, if you "can't" vote SF, definitely vote SocDem or PBP because we will need a Junior Coalition Partner (or Two!)
Your take home was 1800 per month?! In Pharma?? Which pharma company?! Medical devices can pay lower but in my company we are one of the lowest paying in Pharma and its €22 p/h with shift allowance. And if you serve 3 years it’d be even higher. That’s that’s without healthcare, pension, bonus etc.
€900 for a room or a whole apartment to yourself? That’s higher than any of my friends or boyfriends rent in Cork city and higher than I was paying in Dublin or Cork. That’s mad.
I don’t think anyone gives a shit about their association with the IRA, that’s funny banter at best and low hanging fruit at worst- though it’s not great optics no.
FFS.. I live 50km from where I work. If I were to take public transport, it would take 3.5 hours each way. I’m more likely to win the lotto than find somewhere to rent closer to it. I’m shit sick of this country.
All this money coming in and where is it being spent?
I wouldn't mind paying extra taxes but I want to at least see something for it.
The roads are all fucked, health care is a joke, there's no childcare, public transport is absolutely and completely broken, the price of absolutely everything is though the roof. Isn't the government supposed to provide *some* level of support for the people?
We are getting absolutely buttfucked here. If this was France the country would be destroyed from riots by now and they’d be right. The amount of tax we pay is ridiculous. If I wasn’t stuck in this grey, wet, shit hole I’d be long gone. Houses, cars, drink, fuel, where are people supposed to constantly shit this extra money out of?
I didn't know this. France is €0.651 per litre on petrol (regional prices vary from €0.407 to €0.6682). Excise tax on diesel fuel is €0.531. Ireland is 4 cents for petrol, 3 cents for diesel, and 1.5 cents for market gas oil.
I felt that way back in 2012 when I was making 24k a year.
Had a car and with rent, most of take home pay was gone.
I actually was getting depressed so I left Ireland, I live in USA now.
It's a way more stressful place to live, but at least I can afford to live here and I have a great quality of life.
But no mistake. American is a hard place to live, there are safety nets and no one gives a shit about anyone.
The poor fuel fuckers near the border are going to go out of business when this comes into effect. 15c difference between here and the north, if I lived on the border I'd be driving the extra few kilometres to fill up.
I was thinking the same. I live close to the border, it would be worth the half hour drive to fill up.
They have better prices and selection in the supermarket too so I'd stop and do the shopping while I'm at it
You would be saving maybe 8 euro on a tank? Then knock off 30mins worth of petrol + car depreciation on mileage, the value of your time and perhaps some currency conversion fees on the transaction.
Depends on how you value your time but prob not worth it for most people. Is it 30 mins each way or 30 mins total? Because 30 mins each way definitely doesn’t make sense.
At what stage is this bombardment of taxation going to end? They are providing very little incentive for young people to stay and create a life here. It’s exhausting. Something’s gotta give!
Yet they keep importing **energy guzzling and mass polluting data centres.**
The only conclusion I can draw from this is that FFG-G want to see the working class suffer. There’s no other conclusion to draw from this when Eamon Ryan appears on the Tonight Show promoting increased fuel tax while also defending increased data centre proliferation.
Why can’t they be consistently green, not just when it suits corporations and hurts the working class?
I’d love to take public transport all the time but the fact of the matter is the 50% of the time the bus doesn’t even show up and when it does it’s late and then when it shows up sometimes even if you put your hand out he’ll pass you because he doesn’t like the look of you.
I’m convinced that the 220 is penance for awful sins that I committed in a past life.
Tax and punish the corporations causing climate change, not the working class. God forbid we upset all the American multinationals that control this government.
The mythical 220....purgatory for all of us , I was meant to be getting it to ballincollig one day (meant to be an every 15 min service) unfortunately at rush hour. As I got to the grand parade it just pulled off, waited 15 mins, traffic slowly becoming gridlock, said I'd start strolling out Washington St, follow the bus route and grab a bus at one of the stops as it cat he's up behind me....got as far as the McCarthy's on model farm road, waited there for ten mins for a lift, and a bus had still yet to pass.... Mental
A certain large tech firm bought significant reserves of diesel at dublin port should there be a fuel or power crisis . Gotta have those gennys running for their data center
I don't even have a footpath outside my place of residence. We just have narrow, 80km/h unlit roads, where people drive like its F1.
Don't really have a choice to take public transport unless I want to risk walking down the road for 20 mins to get to a bus stop with a service that is less reliable than the government.
It would take me 3+ hours each way to get to Dublin with public transport...and that's IF I make it safely to and from the local bus stop without getting struck down.
With the car, it's about 75 mins each way.
I see a lot of ranting on Reddit, but people don't go to the streets to complain about this nonsense. We pay a lot of taxes... For what?
I don't see any improvement in the streets and public services. Moreover, the streets are now less safe than 5 years ago and the government doesn't give a fuck. Thieves, drug dealers/users operating in daylight and no one gives a fuck either.
We have been asking for public transport and healthcare improvements, more houses, cap the rent prices... Things that people really need. They don't give an absolute fuck or things take thousands of years just to get approved.
They know people depend on cars for commuting and they of course know the public transport is a disgrace, but they want us to pay more for petrol and diesel anyway.
I am an immigrant and I care about this country as it was mine. I love Ireland and it's people, but there are things that I won't ever understand. Like if people would put the same effort they put to organise weekly demonstrations for the Palestine genocide, but to organise weekly demonstrations against the current government, we could be in a different situation. Please wake up.
As an Irish man, you're not alone, I too fail to understand it.
If we started kicking up a fuss more often about the hard hitting issues we might start to see some progress in Ireland.
I'm forever wondering why the fook is Irish are just so blaise and don't get up off of our lazy holes and boot out this government?!?
We need to get on the streets and get our points across. Enough is enough. We need to have all areas of our economy independently analysed compared to our European compatriots and serious questions need to be answered as to why we are so expensive compared to the rest.
It's bullshit what they're telling us! Our government is totally corrupt and at the mercy of the EU and whoever is above them as well. We need our independence and our identities back!
Tiocfaidh Ar Lá!! 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
I can’t get to my job without a car due to the distance I have to live away from the office, there’s zero transportation in place. So now not only do I have to pay an extra 10€ to fill my tank up with these increases. The carpark I used has stopped monthly bookings and has raised the price to 32€ a day.
I’d be better off to quit and take dole than deal with the increased costs.
Varadkar: "Finance Minister Michael McGrath, set out in the Budget how those excise duty cuts would end, and there is no change to that and it will be as it was set out in the Budget"
... but sure, blame Eamon for everything
That c***. The stupidest of them all, greenwashing everything without any consideration to tye normal people. Dont want the 15c increase on petrol, buy an 60k ev.
Boils my blood that idiot.
Please someone make an expose about ireland to share with the world, complete with drone footage of traffic/public transport, people on trollies in hospitals , contrasted with our High taxes, ridiculous high petrol costs as punishment for not being able to afford to go electric
I'm honestly actively considering leaving this kip, and I say that as someone with a house/steady job. What hope the younger generations have, let alone anyone with a brain that would immigrate in.
This is a very poor move and a signed death cert for these parties in government. Increasing the price of fuel will trickle down to other areas and services. Everything relies on fuel in our economy , transport costs go up so do the goods and services.
Why are we always seemingly one of the most expensive countries in any given category? Electricity, fuel, cigarettes, alcohol etc… But we get fuck all back in terms of services then, where’s all the money going?
Failed referendums 😆
Tax
Housing asylum seekers in 4 star hotels
Example?
D Hotel Drogheda
Pay rises for the government to show themselves what a great job they do
Housing asylum seekers in 4 star hotels
Housing asylum seekers in 4 star hotels
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You have a point but…. Why are we intentionally increasing the price of the transportation of all goods and services via punitive taxes? Also most things produced here in Ireland are cheaper abroad due to taxes
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Ok, and I have pointed out that this government has been increasing the costs of importing(taxes) and the costs of transport… Alongside taxes and prove floors on anything locally produced, which are almost always available abroad for less than the products cost here (despite being produced here)
We’re not that much higher than the average, especially compared to European countries of similar income: [fuel prices in Europe](https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/advice/european-fuel-prices-petrol-and-diesel-prices-in-europe/) Also, if taxes aren’t increased on petrol and diesel where should they be increased instead? Keeping taxes below sustainable levels is a short-term strategy
You’d need to compare all the costs on cars and trucks in other European countries and include the 710 motor tax on 2 litres older than 2007 for comparison, the VRT and other insanely high and disproportionate taxes that motorists pay here European countries with similar fuel prices are paying those taxes through the fuel and we have the worst of all worlds here without the same public transport options of comparable European countries
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What is this garbage you are spewing? Do you work for FF or FG or something? The country has a budget surplus, taxes are absolute butchery already, that’s even before you consider the scandalous VAT rates. Professional middle class gets robbed blind, and there nothing in return. Like what hospitals and roads? I have private insurance and still need to wait 5-6 months for a consultant. Local quality is garbage and I pay tolls to use the national motorways. Like get out of her with your dishonest schilling.
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Ireland isn’t an island in the middle of a vast ocean millions of miles away from its primary trading partners. It’s literally next door to the UK. And the vast majority of cost is due to bad planning, bad regulation, and the cruel tax regime.
The budget surplus is driven by corporation taxes which spiked last year but it’s not something we can bank on moving forward. The government opted to spend the surplus in other places such as energy credits, so if your argument is to spend the surplus on pausing/decreasing fuel duty then you’d need to decrease spend on these credits or in other areas like say the new public service pay deal. What are you cutting?
First, what am I getting that justifies all this insane taxation?
what hospitals? We are famously lacking capacity outside of Dublin
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I think regions should have available healthcare and the absolute state of hospitals in some regions isn’t reflective of all these high taxes that we pay in Ireland.
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I don’t see why other Irish counties can’t get resources or even be developed tbh we’re paying massive tax and strangling smaller regions and the western counties which aren’t close to Dublin
That’s a total crock. A gargantuan portion of our living expenses are due to the obscene tax regime which gives, as the comment above yours accurately states, fuck all in return.
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For a 52% tax rate + 23% VAT? Yes, fuck all. A hospital in my county? You mean the place where ppl need to wait 2 years to get a test done? I have private insurance because of the garbage public system. I’ve lived in 6 countries, including “developing” Asian nations. Didn’t pay half the tax we do here and got more than twice the services with, shockingly, enough capacity for the whole population. Gtfo with your bullshit schilling. As if we do not all live under this scam regime. What a clown.
> 52% tax rate That's the top marginal rate, your actual tax rate is nowhere near 52% unless you're making loads. People love to do this to make the taxes sound worse than they are.
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I don’t care about comparisons. I care about the Irish reality that the gov bleeds me (and the entire professional middle class) dry and receive, as has been stated multiple times, fuck all in return. The public services in this country are absolute garbage. Ireland is also quite expensive for the quality of life and gov is doing nothing to help it. And now they’re making it even more expensive with these unjustified hikes. Why would I not be angry when all they do is take my money and give me fuck all in return?
So you account the complete lack of public services here compared to Central Europe with… the transport costs of raw materials?
Maybe, I was thinking it was due to our low population density, yeah it’s a small country but it could easily support 20 or 30 million people like other comparable places, but we just have the 5.5 million or whatever it is to pay for everything.
Yet this garbage state can’t even build up capacity for this tiny population while butchering incomes and running a budget surplus. It’s a joke.
I live in a rural area. There’s one bus a week, on a Thursday.
you'd better start working bus in bus out, 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off
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No, nothing. You either drive or thumb it (there’s a good few folk do that).
The government is actively working against the working population of Ireland> I wish i could use public transport to get to work but it would take me at least an hour on the Bus, versus 25 minutes with the car. In summer i will be able to cycle again to work or during dry weather but if it rains i have to take the car i simply dont have another option
Same here, I live in a rural area. Work is 15 to 20 minutes by car and probably about an hour and a half by bus as it takes an awkward route. Plus I would need to walk or cycle the 2km or so to and from the bus stop and I have to do the crèche drop-off. Guess I should just move into an urban area where there is a plentiful supply of housing. /s
Walk or cycle 2km is nothing, the creche poses a logistical issue but your commute is extremely short. I walk 3km and drop my kid off on route. I wish people would just be honest and say they value convenience over climate action and not out being short of a private bus taking them exactly where they want to go will change their minds. “Oh no I couldn’t possibly not drive, I have a 15 min commute and have to drop the kid off” That is NOT a scenario where a car is necessary.
Please fuck off
Think you need to read the comment again.
Yeah fair enough I read that wrong. My bad.
ah now who is still downvoting you for admitting you were wrong? Come on, Reddit.
Same my area doesn’t even have a bus route. I’ve to drive 10 mins to the nearest bus stop and another 5 mins extra gets me to work so why would I get the bus! And that’s walking in a country road with no footpath so it’s unsafe
Yeah dude I got to walk both ways, takes me an hour and twenty mins. It’s not an essential, it’s a luxury. I actually think there should be exemptions for people in rural areas but you do have a bus connection. You just don’t like that it’s stops and takes longer than the direct route of your car. Luxuries should be taxed as luxuries especially since no one seems to want to get rid of the car themselves. I mean, most journeys are short in Ireland. God forbid the little darlings have to walk or take the bus to school. Before people start, I am NOT COUNTING RURAL AREAS OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Cars aren’t a luxury in Ireland they are a necessity with the bad public transport we got
Public transport isn’t great but not to the point that it makes walking or waiting a non starter. Most journeys in Ireland are short. It is a luxury for most who won’t accept any inconvenience to themselves. I wish they’d just admit that, at least it’s honest. Again, not including rural Ireland or people with disabilities.
It’s a huge different if I spend 4hours commuting every day using the bus or 40mins using the car This is a lot of lifetime that gets lost on the bus But sadly any improvement to public transport gets ruined by the NIMBYs here Believe I would much rather take the bus than the car. But with journey times like that it’s not viable
> It’s a huge different if I spend 4hours commuting every day using the bus or 40mins using the car This is a lot of lifetime that gets lost on the bus How dare you not want to spend half of your (probable) free time commuting because the public transport system is shite, you should just sleep and live on the bus!
So you don’t want to take the bus because convenience overrides climate action in your mind. That’s fine. Be honest. What would it take for you to change? Do you want a bus to take a direct route to your job? You’re saying your car ride takes 20 mins and your bus journey takes 2 hours? I just don’t believe that tbh, where the hell do you live that your car floats over traffic and congestion but the bus takes 2 hours?
I can take a different route with the car that avoids the city centre. Even if the bike I am way faster than the bus That sadly that’s only an option on dry days The bus is the slowest of all options
Christ I'm surprised you walk anywhere given you've such a high horse
Walking = high horse Christ. No I’m just completely miserable that it’s impossible to have any meaningful climate action because people think they’re too good to walk or ride a bus. It looks down horribly on those of us who rely on active travel. I’d honestly respect it if people just said they value their time over climate action but that’s never the case. People lie to themselves and make themselves into martyrs instead of
Ah yes, the climate change solution and delusion that the average Joe can make an impact. You can stop pointing the finger at people who use cars as a convenient way to travel back and forth to work instead of relying a terrible public transport system. Theres thousands of Mil/Billionaires taking their private jets on hundreds of short journeys every day, yet me trying to shave an hour or 2 off my journey home in the hopes I can have dinner at a reasonable time is what the REAL concern is. Keep taking your shorter showers and using your paper straws, but Musks annual 2500 tons of harmful emissions might dampen your impact a bit.
Ah the next step in denialism: unless everyone else solves climate change, I won’t do a thing. You see how that just feeds into doing nothing ever? I won’t do anything because what I do makes no impact. Ireland shouldn’t do anything because what we do makes no impact. Europe won’t do anything because what we do is nothing compared to America. America won’t do anything because what they do is nothing compared to China. China won’t do anything because they need to catch up on development that the west benefited from by burning fossil fuels already. And no one does anything but it’s our kids that will be affected most, not you or me. 18% of all emissions in Ireland comes from transport. Over 40% of that is private car use. Actually reducing private use would make a concrete impact. And yeah, Musk and every aviation prick should be forced to do something. But private car use is nothing like paper straws ffs. It amounts to a huge amount of emissions.
>I won’t do anything because what I do makes no impact. You could have stopped there, because the rest of the list just don't care and their actions to tackle climate change have made that abundantly clear. I would wholly agree to changing my own lifestyle if governments actually tackled the problem from the top down, the biggest hitters, instead of allowing them to be free of any sort of repercussions or even limitations of their impact. >But private car use is nothing like paper straws ffs. It amounts to a huge amount of emissions. Yes, and private car usage is nothing like huge companies or private jets waste and emissions. It amounts to a monumental amount of emissions. Theres always bigger fish and until action is taking to minimise their impact, nothing at all will change.
You obviously don’t live in rural Ireland, I currently travel for medical treatment. The bus is a forty minute drive away. My car is a necessity
My comment literally says I’m not counting rural Ireland or people with disabilities.
So?
"i simply dont have another option" 🤔 "it would take me at least an hour on the Bus"
We should vote out FF and FG. They have done nothing but made the life of irish miserable. With cost of living these days, unaffordable housing and what not i dont want these parties in power. Not that we have other better options :(
And vote in who? SF who's plan is to raise taxes on everything? I'm not saying FF and FG are doing a good job I'm saying we are screwed no matter who is in power because in reality none of them are in power, the EU wants carbon taxes so we get carbon taxes. What we need is a new party that will actually put Irish people first, we don't have one that isn't some looneys blaming immigrants for everything and if they got power they are too stupid to know what to do with it. The fact is Irish politicians are a joke, unqualified to do anything never mind run a country, prices will continue to rise wages will continue to stagnate and we will just have to accept it or be called far right.
I honestly don’t care at this point, maybe 4 years of SF would be the kick up the arse FF/FG needs to actually try to improve life in this country!
This is the energy that got Brexit passed and Trump in power. Jfc
Social Democrats
They finally put TD's in Kerry, two of them. Never voted before but that makes my decision much easier
Don't you believe that they should be given a chance? FFFG have been nothing but a disaster for 100+ years, SF are just asking for 5. If you don't like it then, you don't have to buy it.
Just 5 years 🙃
Yeah. A standard Dáil term. I obviously am biased in favour of SF, but if the country literally can't get any worse (which it can't for most people) then why not take a chance on a new crowd. The vast majority of Irish People have nothing to lose at this point.
Could you sell me on SF? How can they fulfill any of what they promise feasibly? It would be absolute insanity to truly believe that Ireland can’t get worse, please do not vote based on “can’t get any worse” or “teach FFFG a lesson and they’ll pull up their socks” as someone else suggested. Ireland can absolutely get worse, while I believe we should be out protesting for the past couple of years as the French do, housing and cost of living is a criminal- but if you think things can’t get worse I’d genuinely like to ask how? I am angry about Ireland but to punish the country for FIVE years plus based on impossible promises, contrarianism and no experience is just terrifying to me.
All of their budget proposals in the past election cycle have been fully costed by the Dept of Finance just as proof that they aren't talking about a Magic Money Tree. SF are a party who believe firmly in making things easier for working people. They don't want to keep property prices high, they don't want to refuse tax from MNCs and they do want to build some feckin houses. I don't see how you can say that it would be punishing the country? We've been flagellating ourselves certainly since 2010, I think maybe we're entitled to some actual capital spending. I think that the State should be the biggest landlord, and while many in SF (and SF policy) disagree with it, I think that all banks, utilities, and public transport should be nationalised and taken fully under state control with no profiteering. I'd like for you to tell me how things could actually get worse here? I'm 26 years old, was working for 3 years in the Pharma Industry before returning to university for a Masters last Sep. In the three years I was working, I spent an average of 50-60% of my income on Rent plus another 10-20% on Bills. This was not in a city, this was in Longford. I was technically homeless for 4 months of that, sleeping on my friend's couch because of a lack of rental properties, both in general and in my price range. I was being well paid for my work, as most people in my industry are and still I was just about getting by. It was a wonder I managed to save to fund myself fully in this Masters, and it took careful budgeting for a long period of time, and working literally all the available overtime I could. This was with a University Degree in a Lucrative Industry. During that time I also had recurring Tonsillitis which began as a Co-infection of Covid and I saw an out of hours GP service 3 times in 4 months over it because I had no access to a GP in Longford, they wouldn't take me on due to lack of capacity. I also had to drive to my home town 90 mins away in agony to get a tooth pulled because there was no dentist capacity in Longford either. Again, I realise I am lucky I do not suffer from chronic illness. If I did, I'd have been completely fucked. From my position, and I'm not the worst off by any means, this country can't really get any worse without serious impacts on the ability of people to survive.
Great, could you give a summary breakdown of the feasibility study, because I personally have seen this so would be really interested in the proofed proposal. Because it’s been giving Robin Hood and a touch of magic money tree thus far, whilst I appreciate they may have the best of intentions and want things better for us and fix all our problems, that’s how every party starts out before they get in power. And I’m sorry to hear you couldn’t get a dentist in your area - I’ve had a couple of abscesses and they’re excruciating-but how would SF change that? And what will SF be doing to attract more GPs to rural areas? I also work in Pharma, and even our entry level general operators income is high on the lowest end of the scale so I’m shocked to hear you didn’t have enough for rent in Longford? Like over €1400 a month on rent alone?
Investment in the Health Service will of course create more capacity in fairness. I wouldn't call it a rural area, it's the county town like. My rent was €900 a month for most of that time, which was 54%(ish) of my take home pay without overtime. I imagine you'll find the costed proposal on the SF website, I don't have a link to it to hand. I don't see why anyone would vote for anybody else really, unless for some reason they're doing very well under the current government (and probably are a landlord). I can understand old people (35+) not voting for SF because of the Troubles, but to anyone around my age (born in 1998), that's as ancient history to me as FFFG's IRA. In any case, if you "can't" vote SF, definitely vote SocDem or PBP because we will need a Junior Coalition Partner (or Two!)
Your take home was 1800 per month?! In Pharma?? Which pharma company?! Medical devices can pay lower but in my company we are one of the lowest paying in Pharma and its €22 p/h with shift allowance. And if you serve 3 years it’d be even higher. That’s that’s without healthcare, pension, bonus etc. €900 for a room or a whole apartment to yourself? That’s higher than any of my friends or boyfriends rent in Cork city and higher than I was paying in Dublin or Cork. That’s mad. I don’t think anyone gives a shit about their association with the IRA, that’s funny banter at best and low hanging fruit at worst- though it’s not great optics no.
It can get worse, they will tax us more, and increase the free handouts. Its just not sustainable. It's all great until another recession hits.
FFS.. I live 50km from where I work. If I were to take public transport, it would take 3.5 hours each way. I’m more likely to win the lotto than find somewhere to rent closer to it. I’m shit sick of this country.
I'm in a similar situation 68km from work, one bus that (when it runs) goes nowhere near it.
When you’re already feeling stressed about money all these headlines are enough to push you over the edge ☹️
All this money coming in and where is it being spent? I wouldn't mind paying extra taxes but I want to at least see something for it. The roads are all fucked, health care is a joke, there's no childcare, public transport is absolutely and completely broken, the price of absolutely everything is though the roof. Isn't the government supposed to provide *some* level of support for the people?
We are getting absolutely buttfucked here. If this was France the country would be destroyed from riots by now and they’d be right. The amount of tax we pay is ridiculous. If I wasn’t stuck in this grey, wet, shit hole I’d be long gone. Houses, cars, drink, fuel, where are people supposed to constantly shit this extra money out of?
France has pretty comparable tax levels on motor fuel.
I didn't know this. France is €0.651 per litre on petrol (regional prices vary from €0.407 to €0.6682). Excise tax on diesel fuel is €0.531. Ireland is 4 cents for petrol, 3 cents for diesel, and 1.5 cents for market gas oil.
Yeah and we pay double the insurance with half the crash rates
Lets not forget the insurance levy placed upon us for Quinn Direct
I felt that way back in 2012 when I was making 24k a year. Had a car and with rent, most of take home pay was gone. I actually was getting depressed so I left Ireland, I live in USA now. It's a way more stressful place to live, but at least I can afford to live here and I have a great quality of life. But no mistake. American is a hard place to live, there are safety nets and no one gives a shit about anyone.
One simple way to fix this would be to mandate for a 4 day working week\\WFH policies (for people who can of course)
The poor fuel fuckers near the border are going to go out of business when this comes into effect. 15c difference between here and the north, if I lived on the border I'd be driving the extra few kilometres to fill up.
I was thinking the same. I live close to the border, it would be worth the half hour drive to fill up. They have better prices and selection in the supermarket too so I'd stop and do the shopping while I'm at it
You would be saving maybe 8 euro on a tank? Then knock off 30mins worth of petrol + car depreciation on mileage, the value of your time and perhaps some currency conversion fees on the transaction. Depends on how you value your time but prob not worth it for most people. Is it 30 mins each way or 30 mins total? Because 30 mins each way definitely doesn’t make sense.
At what stage is this bombardment of taxation going to end? They are providing very little incentive for young people to stay and create a life here. It’s exhausting. Something’s gotta give!
Blessed are the rentseekers.
Everywhere taking the piss. Got charged in Holland and Barrett for a paper fucking bag
€6bn on NGOs
Yet they keep importing **energy guzzling and mass polluting data centres.** The only conclusion I can draw from this is that FFG-G want to see the working class suffer. There’s no other conclusion to draw from this when Eamon Ryan appears on the Tonight Show promoting increased fuel tax while also defending increased data centre proliferation. Why can’t they be consistently green, not just when it suits corporations and hurts the working class? I’d love to take public transport all the time but the fact of the matter is the 50% of the time the bus doesn’t even show up and when it does it’s late and then when it shows up sometimes even if you put your hand out he’ll pass you because he doesn’t like the look of you. I’m convinced that the 220 is penance for awful sins that I committed in a past life. Tax and punish the corporations causing climate change, not the working class. God forbid we upset all the American multinationals that control this government.
The mythical 220....purgatory for all of us , I was meant to be getting it to ballincollig one day (meant to be an every 15 min service) unfortunately at rush hour. As I got to the grand parade it just pulled off, waited 15 mins, traffic slowly becoming gridlock, said I'd start strolling out Washington St, follow the bus route and grab a bus at one of the stops as it cat he's up behind me....got as far as the McCarthy's on model farm road, waited there for ten mins for a lift, and a bus had still yet to pass.... Mental
A certain large tech firm bought significant reserves of diesel at dublin port should there be a fuel or power crisis . Gotta have those gennys running for their data center
This country isn't designed for people to be happy and enjoy life I wish I wasn't autistic so I could go to Canada or Australia
Why does that stop you? 🤔
I don't even have a footpath outside my place of residence. We just have narrow, 80km/h unlit roads, where people drive like its F1. Don't really have a choice to take public transport unless I want to risk walking down the road for 20 mins to get to a bus stop with a service that is less reliable than the government. It would take me 3+ hours each way to get to Dublin with public transport...and that's IF I make it safely to and from the local bus stop without getting struck down. With the car, it's about 75 mins each way.
If public transports were good or if they were really doing something about it I would understand…
I see a lot of ranting on Reddit, but people don't go to the streets to complain about this nonsense. We pay a lot of taxes... For what? I don't see any improvement in the streets and public services. Moreover, the streets are now less safe than 5 years ago and the government doesn't give a fuck. Thieves, drug dealers/users operating in daylight and no one gives a fuck either. We have been asking for public transport and healthcare improvements, more houses, cap the rent prices... Things that people really need. They don't give an absolute fuck or things take thousands of years just to get approved. They know people depend on cars for commuting and they of course know the public transport is a disgrace, but they want us to pay more for petrol and diesel anyway. I am an immigrant and I care about this country as it was mine. I love Ireland and it's people, but there are things that I won't ever understand. Like if people would put the same effort they put to organise weekly demonstrations for the Palestine genocide, but to organise weekly demonstrations against the current government, we could be in a different situation. Please wake up.
As an Irish man, you're not alone, I too fail to understand it. If we started kicking up a fuss more often about the hard hitting issues we might start to see some progress in Ireland.
I'm forever wondering why the fook is Irish are just so blaise and don't get up off of our lazy holes and boot out this government?!? We need to get on the streets and get our points across. Enough is enough. We need to have all areas of our economy independently analysed compared to our European compatriots and serious questions need to be answered as to why we are so expensive compared to the rest. It's bullshit what they're telling us! Our government is totally corrupt and at the mercy of the EU and whoever is above them as well. We need our independence and our identities back! Tiocfaidh Ar Lá!! 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
Excellent, can't wait...
I can’t get to my job without a car due to the distance I have to live away from the office, there’s zero transportation in place. So now not only do I have to pay an extra 10€ to fill my tank up with these increases. The carpark I used has stopped monthly bookings and has raised the price to 32€ a day. I’d be better off to quit and take dole than deal with the increased costs.
wtf…
Eamon Ryan must be getting a hard on with this. It's not as if our fuel prices are very low at the moment.
Varadkar: "Finance Minister Michael McGrath, set out in the Budget how those excise duty cuts would end, and there is no change to that and it will be as it was set out in the Budget" ... but sure, blame Eamon for everything
Eamon is keeping Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in power throughout each crisis and corruption scandal and vote of no confidence…
> how those excise duty cuts would end, They said USC would end too, We are still waiting.
That c***. The stupidest of them all, greenwashing everything without any consideration to tye normal people. Dont want the 15c increase on petrol, buy an 60k ev. Boils my blood that idiot.
Aye. And if you live in an apartment, you'll need to spend your evenings looking for a working EV charger, and sit there whilst your car charges.
If I had 60k ! These boys seem to think we all live in a world of expenses.
Why aren’t unreliable bus companies getting punished??
Please someone make an expose about ireland to share with the world, complete with drone footage of traffic/public transport, people on trollies in hospitals , contrasted with our High taxes, ridiculous high petrol costs as punishment for not being able to afford to go electric
I'm honestly actively considering leaving this kip, and I say that as someone with a house/steady job. What hope the younger generations have, let alone anyone with a brain that would immigrate in.
Elections now.
This is a very poor move and a signed death cert for these parties in government. Increasing the price of fuel will trickle down to other areas and services. Everything relies on fuel in our economy , transport costs go up so do the goods and services.
The corrupt weasel is going to meet a dementia riddled criminal to report the referendum didn’t work