Independent TD Carol Nolan has criticised what she described as a growing disconnect between Government spending priorities and the financial pressures facing ordinary families and businesses. This follows confirmation to her in a parliamentary reply that more than €26 million in State funding has been allocated to environmental NGOs since 2020.
Deputy Nolan’s comments come amid warnings that planned toll increases will add to the cost burden facing motorists, hauliers and businesses, with industry representatives cautioning that higher transport costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers through increased prices.
The Independent TD said that while working people are being asked to absorb ever-higher transport costs, the Government continues to direct millions of euros towards organisations that frequently advocate for policies that also impose additional costs on motorists and rural communities:
“The NGOs are being insulated, while everyone else must face the storm of rising prices. It is simply not fair.”
“In fact, these figures raise serious questions about priorities, but they also shine a spotlight on a blatant two-tier approach. On the one hand motorists and ordinary families are being asked to pay more and more from limited resources while some environment NGOs continue to receive ever higher funding from the State,” Deputy Nolan said.
“Over €26 million has been provided to environmental NGOs since 2020, with funding increasing significantly over that period. Yet at the same time, ordinary motorists are being hit with higher toll charges and businesses are warning that the knock-on effects will be felt in supermarkets; as if things weren’t bad enough on that front.”
“I have no difficulty supporting practical initiatives such as GAA Green Clubs, where communities voluntarily engage in environmental projects that deliver real local benefits. So, from my perspective, the issue is not environmental action itself. The issue is the Government’s willingness to pour millions into NGO advocacy organisations while motorists and families face ever-increasing costs.”
Deputy Nolan said that in this sense environmental policy could not be pursued in isolation from the realities facing families already struggling with the cost of living:
“No one disputes the importance of protecting our environment. However, there has to be a balance.”
“I am calling on the Government to rethink policies that increase transport costs to punitive levels and to ensure that the interests of ordinary taxpayers are given the same consideration as those of well-funded and, quite often, unrepresentative advocacy organisations,” concluded Deputy Nolan.