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Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte
FUEL POVERTY
this winter
this winter
Could Kill 10 Times
the Number of Road Deaths
the Number of Road Deaths
A killer will stalk the Irish countryside this winter. He will kill perhaps ten times more people than traffic accidents will kill in a full year. What is the nature of this rapacious killer? What are we doing to prevent this mass destruction of human life?
Many of our most vulnerable citizens are faced this winter with the stark choice of EAT or HEAT. Several published estimates indicate that the sad outcome could run to several THOUSANDS of deaths.
Many of our most vulnerable citizens are faced this winter with the stark choice of EAT or HEAT. Several published estimates indicate that the sad outcome could run to several THOUSANDS of deaths.
STOP - Think about it for a moment please - - - - - TEN TIMES x10 the number of people killed on the roads. This many people could perish miserably - simply because of the cost of fuel.
Resources?
Road traffic deaths draw a huge investment from the government in the form of
Resources?
Road traffic deaths draw a huge investment from the government in the form of
(1) Police input into prevention.
(2) speed cameras.
(3) Speed vans.
(4) Massive advertising budget.
Hypothermia and cold related deaths on the other hand draw just about NO INVESTMENT. In fact, the government see fit to make the situation worse by taxation, and by lack of price control on essential home heating fuels.
Taxation is a Massive Factor
A massive contributory factor is the higher Irish cost of fuel, heavy added Republic of Ireland taxation burdens. These include an 8.40% carbon tax, on top of which is added a 13.50% VAT rate.
Just up the road in the North of Ireland the VAT rate is 5% and no carbon tax. Additionally the oil retailers are some 10% cheaper up North than in the Rip-Off Republic. Are the Government doing anything to control the rip-off merchants when a semi-state company, Bord na Mona, is leading the wolf pack?
The man you see above could substantially change this situation, if the will to make any REAL changes existed, and bring the cost of heating oil down by some 20+% - thereby greatly easing the burden.
Don't have the death of thousands on your conscience Minister - when you can now easily mitigate the situation. Please act swiftly.
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