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Updated 1.44pm
KIEV AND PRO-RUSSIAN rebels have signed off on a roadmap to implement a Ukraine peace deal thrashed out during marathon talks in Minsk, President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko said today.
“The contact group signed a document that we prepared with a great deal of tension,” Poroshenko said of the deal, which Putin said was “a set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements”, referring to a widely disregarded September peace deal.
Earlier Poroshenko, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, France’s Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had been locked in talks at the presidential palace in Minsk since late last night, trying to work out a plan to end a conflict that has pitted pro-Russian rebels against Kiev government forces in east Ukraine, killing at least 5,300 people and plunging East-West relations to a post Cold War low.
Arch-foes Poroshenko and Putin were meeting for the first time since October at the climax of a frantic European diplomatic drive aimed at stopping the worst East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War from escalating.
Difficult birth
Western European leaders have voiced cautious optimism about the plan, which has been hailed as a great victory by pro-Russian rebels but met with scepticism by war-weary civilians.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was a driving force behind the negotiations, along with French President Francois Hollande, said she had “no illusions” and that “big hurdles” remained in ending the 10-month conflict.
“We now have a glimmer of hope,” she said in the Belarussian capital,adding that “concrete steps must of course be taken and there will still be big hurdles ahead”.
“I have no illusions, we have no illusions,” she said, “much work” remained.
Hollande said the deal included a “comprehensive political solution” and provided “serious hope, even if all is not done”.
Merkel’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said it represented neither “a comprehensive solution” nor a “breakthrough”.
He said he welcomed the truce plan but “without any exuberance” since “it was a difficult birth”.
Putin, accused of backing the rebels, joked with journalists about whether they had slept or not after the marathon overnight talks.
“It wasn’t the best night of my life but the morning, in my opinion, is a good one because despite all the complexities of the negotiating process we still manged to agree on the main points,” he said.
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58% is tax and then vat on that what joke,it cost €95 to fill my car and the government get €60
That’s after they have taxed your pay. If you were to add up all your taxes, income, VAT, excise, DIRT, property, water and Capital Gains, the government take most of your income and it is for this reason that some people can not actually afford to work.
Not to mention how much of that money is then wasted by the government!
Bondholders don’t come cheap – the Irish ones in suits at any rate !
Petrol and diesel are still cheaper here than the UK I think?
Not to mention inheritance tax (if you’re lucky!) The tax free amount for parents to children has managed to slide from 480k to 225k in very very few years… Since 2008 I think. Compare that with our UK counterparts of just over 650k sterling… It’s scary to think everything I may work for throughout my life will then also be pillaged after death at 33% after some sh*tty tax free band. Ridiculous country… But let’s keep accommodating the Americans with low CT, not that this old reliable will work for much longer as it continues to fall into the spotlight.
@Andrew: More than made up for though with the extortionate motor tax rates, especially if you can’t afford a post-08 car – although those went up in the last budgets too (so much for saving the planet!)
They are cheaper here but motor tax is a lot cheaper in the UK
Vehicles are a lot cheaper in the uk cause there not subject to a ridiculous VRT charge
God I love the whining about inheritance tax.
I cannot think of a more just tax than inheritance tax. Transfers from wealthy parents to their offspring perpetuate social inequalities and destroy social mobility.
Lets not worry about building social housing or housing market problems, the bank of mum and dad can help with that.
VRT’s a sham! In substance it’s an import duty, hope someone takes the case to Europe! Surprised the manufactures haven’t though!
Also on the point of ridiculous taxation in this country, I honestly can’t see how they could extract more from the economy, it’s beyond sustainable at this stage! Government is massive in this country now, and it seems to be just self serving & grossly inefficient, with very little end user value!
Get rid of CAR TAX and put it into the cost of petrol/diesel at the pump. its being mentioned 100s of times before. NCT is just another scam, people who cant efford a brand new car will pay much more in NCT and tax, than people driving around in 2014 cars!
You’re dead right, because the results of their extortionate pillaging of the graves is so clear to see currently ;)
What a stupid comment to make when there’s already been a ridiculous amount of tax paid on assets/cash reserves accumulated.
@David Burke
So rather than pass your money to your children you would prefer to give to the government to squander, you must not like your family much
Don’t give that bs about social mobility in this country, if you have the drive you can make it! Some of our best entrepreneurs and academics are from disadvantaged backgrounds! Also trades are still very well paid in Ireland, and the works coming back!
If someone’s parents have worked their bollox off for their entire life paying back a mortgage, they have to give the state 33% of anything over the miserable three hundred k threshold, it’s communist in my opinion!
He’s expecting his offspring to be perpetuate social inequalities.
Don’t forget the taxes on luxuries like being able to take money out of an ATM or having a credit card. Also levies on health insurance, pensions…It’s a great little country. At least all the money is well spent.
Who cares what the price is in the UK
It’s a completely different country with a different currency.
In fairness, while it’s hard to be sympathetic about a €225k inheritance, the people who left the property / inheritance earned it, payed tax on it, and probably held it to leave something for their kids, the government already got their cut from the parents why should they get it again? If I have a home when I die, having paid income tax, USC, levies, property tax, home insurance & life assurance and a mortgage at ridiculous interest rates my whole life why should my kids have to pay the government anything on it, I will want to leave all that I have for the benefit of my children and their children not for the government to take another piece of it! I’m not rich or anything that can be described as being remotely close to it, in fact I struggle financially like most which is all the more reason that when I’m finished paying for what I have I should be able to give it to who I like without them being penalised for getting it!
@Glen I’m just demonstrating how we’re getting screwed to the wall. I think you’ll find, and correct me if I’m wrong, a comparison is a key tool in backing up a statement made for or against something. & if you’re having trouble with the currency let me know I’ll convert it back to Euro for you ;)
Andy
Petrol in Ireland has gone up by 30 cent a litre in the last 4 years in Ireland …. Are them stats clear enough of how we are getting screwed.
I could never understand why that was never done, car tax is done on engine size and now emissions, basically the same laws apply the bigger the car the more fuel it burns, plus while not everyone taxes their car, everyone puts fuel in it, so that way it’s a win for government coffers, the new tax system was purely a boost for the motor industry, I envy the lower tax rates of my neighbours 2012 octavia compared to my 2005, but I don’t owe a penny on mine and the engine is bulletproof, so the tax saving for me to upgrade isn’t worth the cost,
Who inherits petrol/diesel for this to be a problem ☺
To be more precise
The highest it has hit was 1.70 a litre which would of been an increase of .38 cent at its highest in the last 4 years.
Hope this helps !!!
Also, just wondering on ppls opinion here, over the last number of years cars have gotten far more efficient, hence sales per litre has dropped, and excise tax is per liter, not a percent of cost. Will the govt increase the excise duty because it’s such a big revenue earner for them? Are they planning for this or will it be another poor reactive response as usual when the time comes?
Why should my children pay inheritance tax when I have already paid tax accumulating the wealth in the first place. This is double taxation
Ireland still has the 4th most expensive fuel on planet earth.
Still proud of your reduction❓
Neither does the dept of social welfare.
@glen do you not think it’s fair that we compare ourselves tomour nearest neighbours
… bigger cars do not burn more fuel. My 3.6l petrol users no more than a more modest engine (say 2.0t). It’s about efficiency, not size. Same goes for diesels.
What a ridiculous statement to make, maybe you would like to make the accumulation of wealth illegal as well,only a socialist control freak or a communist could come up with that.
they are a little cheaper here but road tax and MOT are massively cheaper in UK.
No doubt the government will take the bulk of any saving to the motorist in increased fuel tax.
“Let’s call it carbon tax”
What did he say that for, nothing more certain than a few cent tax on fuel in the budget so.
I recently got a fuel card that promised me 2c per litre of the pump price. The particular station I have to use however is 6c per litre more expensive than every other one in the area. Maybe work on certain providers lowering their take too. The tax take is ridiculous though. When the tax on something means the government gets more than you there is something very wrong.
another lesson in nothing is free, especially when it says ‘Free’
Come on Rob…dont be shy. Name the station.I am shure the Journal won’t sensor your comment if it is factual..
I’m guessing Esso, possibly topaz! They’re the most common fuel cards, although topaz is usually competitive, so I’ll blame Esso
Conor Faughnan has no idea, firstly when òil prices went down our govt increased taxes on petrol , so what he is saying in reality is when oil continues to drop we will get fleeced aģain, good old rip off Ireland…….
The world is awash with oil and gas thanks to fracking for shale gas in the USA and better recovery methods making older wells more productive.
Trolling like a boss. Idiot.
The USA is heading towards self sufficiency by 2020 and by then Barak Hussein Soetoro will have been sent packing and the Canadian oil sands output will be piped south to add to the bonanza or have the Chinese got the rights to that?
Trolling?
How?
Oil & gas production are only going in one direction…. Up.
If you don’t fall in line with the Anti-American or Capitalism crowd, you are an idiot troll or a paid shill. Didn’t you know that?
Fracking is killing people. But I suppose f@ck them because we need the oil right?
Rob, I would be interested to see some figures of deaths directly related to fracking if you have them?
So no fossil fuels then Rob?
Not if the process makes water flammable and people sick and die no. There are other ways to get oil.
Great fire up the range rover
It should be €1 a litre
If they decide to lower the price of fuel even by 5cent i would stand on my head singing “We are the Champions” while dressed in Drag then i shall proceed to do back flips down the length of O’Connel street
I remember when petrol used to be 99c
In 2007 I could fill my car for 50 euros, I filled it last week and it was 90 euros.
All most doubled in price in 7 years.
Hell will freeze over before our government reduce the price of a liter of diesel.
I remember it was €0.68! I used to fill my first car, granted a micra, for €30 or so! Although then I was usually only getting €5! Tough times when you’re 17 and trying to pay insurance! My lawnmower petrol container takes €10 now…. Used to be about €3! God I’m ancient
I’m (my current location) paying the equivalent of €12.65, give or take, for a full tank, 1.8 Kia Sportage. 365km, again, plus or minus (10kmish). We are fkning being fleeced. And it’s only when I got here, that it dawned on me. We’re only pawns.
People complain about petrol prices and then complain when Cork is underwater.
Pick one.
I for one would not complain if cork was underwater
Topaz is still dearest greedy f#ckers out there even with cost dropping.
Hey look on the bright side. There’s going to be some good news at the pumps later this year!!
So
Prsi we have to pay
USC must have its day
I heard that the latest eruptions of Mount Etna were definitely due to a combination of fracking and climate change and an increase in fuel tax is needed to clean up the emissions. A well-known American faux-environmentalist is organising a Carbon Credits sale.
Next up will be a big increase in tax of diesel fuel as it now known to be really bad for particulate emissions, (which is hardly news, but now being shouted about). Too many people have bought diesel vehicles to reduce CO2 and get better MPG and the tax-take is dropping so a new “Environmental” levy is required. EU will probably mandate this in the near future. Government will reduce tax by 5c just as EU increase it by 10c.
Where does the money from carbon tax go?
I would have thought it should go towards promoting wind and solar energy but suspect it goes straight into the exchequer.
Does anyone know?
It goes to governments who then either pay it to bigger governments when they get fined for producing too much carbon dioxide or pay it to climate researchers who’s only aim is to prove how bad man made global warming is going to get. Its a great money spinner, even Telsla cars now make more money by selling carbon credits than they do by selling electric cars. On top of all this though we have yet to reduce the amount of carbon we’re pumping into the atmosphere.
Drink 10 less pints a yr and you save on the same difference yo
Sit in the cold and die from hypothermia and you will save even more!
How logical is that
Far too many elderly people have to make the choice between heating and eating, how logical is that? The next few weeks are looking bleak and for some the heating season will start early this year.
Already there !
Extra clothes is the sensible way to go. Layers.
You’re obviously a royal piss head noel.
Wow. What an educated and informed comment.
Did you think of that all by yourself?
FAUGHNAN TALKS SHITE HE BLEETS ABOUT THE MOTORIST AND DOES NOTHING TO MAKE THE GOVERMENT REDUCE THEIR 90 CENT ON EVERY LITRE. ALWAYS BLEETING ABOUT ROAD SAFETY WHEN HE KNOWS THAT THE CAMERA VANS ARE JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR THE SPASTICS IN DAIL EIREANN TO SCREW MORE MONEY FROM US.
have your say