Road hauliers, IBEC to discuss Budget 2019 ideas with Budgetary Oversight Committee

The meeting at 4 p.m. in Committee Room 3 features presentations from the Irish Road Hauliers Association (IRHA) and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC).

Ireland currently adds 48 cents of excise duty to each litre of diesel, 59 cents to petrol. Environmentalists and other interest groups have called for diesel excise duty to be increased in Budget 2019 this October. The IRHA is expected to outline the economic pressures facing the haulage industry and the difficulties posed by rising fuel prices.

The discussion with IBEC is expected to cover wider ground on budgetary policy, including the current discounted VAT rate applied to the hospitality sector, potential models for building a new “rainy day fund” for Ireland, and ways to keep Ireland’s universities internationally competitive through increased investment.

The scheduled witnesses are:

• IRHA President Verona Murphy and General Secretary Tony Goodwin, and
• IBEC Policy Director Fergal O’Brien and Senior Economist Gerard Brady.

“Haulage is an important driver of economic activity and of course is exposed to any changes in excise duty on vehicle fuel. Listening to industry concerns is an important part of charting the road ahead to Budget 2019,” said Committee Chairman Colm Brophy TD.

“The Committee’s engagement with IBEC will cover a wider range of ideas, including how Budget 2019 could best stimulate growth, defend competitiveness, and elevate Ireland’s academic credentials.”

The meeting can be viewed live here.

It also can be viewed live on Android and Apple devices using the Houses of the Oireachtas app.