An Independent TD's calling on the government to think long and hard before they introduce a Carbon budget next month.
Significant rises in the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating fuels are expected as part of plans to address climate change.
Fuel costs have already risen this year due to pent-up demand as the economy returns to normal from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wexford Duputy Verona Murphy says the additional costs on top of recent increases will be too much for struggling businesses and families:
"We have a shortage of labour so obviously labour is going to go up and now we're being told today that we're going to possibly face a 15% corporation tax rate. All of those issues together, it's too ambitious, it's too fast and it's going to become too expensive."
She believes that any further cost increases could create a recession
"We have to take a step back and we've got to look at Ireland on a competitive basis. We are an island on the periphery of the EU and all of these things together may derail our competitiveness to the extent that we are facing a serious recession."
