2026-08-28

Members are very enthusiastic. Good afternoon and welcome to our recall sitting. On 21 August last, the Taoiseach requested me by letter, under Standing Order 26(1), to summon Dáil Éireann to meet today, 28 August 2026, at 12 noon for the purposes of taking a financial resolution. The business of today's special sitting is confined to the financial resolution unless the House otherwise orders. I call on the Chief Whip to move the proposal in relation to the arrangements for today's business, please.

I move: Notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 217, in relation to the Financial Motion by the Minister for Finance [2026], the following arrangements shall apply: 1. the proceedings on the motion shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes: Provided that where any amendments are not disposed of within the 60 minutes, the question put on the motion shall also dispose of any amendments tabled to that motion; 2. the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: - opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes; - speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, the Labour Party, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group; - speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes; and - a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; 3. members may share time; and 4. any divisions demanded shall be taken immediately.

Is the proposal agreed to? Not agreed. The same procedure applies. I call Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

It has been six weeks since we last gathered here. Prices are going through the roof, there is a serious crisis out there and the Government has allocated just one hour today - seven and a half minutes per grouping or party - to deal with this serious issue. It has also tried to prevent amendments being taken by limiting it to 60 minutes. This is just unacceptable. We have been shut down for six weeks. People out there are struggling and need absolute clarity that the Government will not introduce these excise charges again, as it plans.

I call Deputy O'Callaghan. Members have 30 seconds each.

The cost-of-living crisis is putting huge pressure on households around the country. This Government is showing contempt and disdain for those households by giving the bare minimum of 60 minutes for this proposal to be discussed and scrutinised here. Why is it afraid of proper scrutiny and discussion of the proposal and why is it afraid of people putting forward alternatives?

To provide an hour for this debate is a pathetic admission of the failure of Government policy to address an entirely predictable situation in terms of petrol prices and the cost of living. The Government does not even want to discuss it but has been forced, because of the fear of public outrage and protest, to have this reconvening of the Dáil. It wants to curtail the debate so we do not actually get to discuss the cost-of-living crisis that is affecting hundreds of thousands of working people and families in this country. It is pathetic.

One hour for debate on such an important issue today is very unfair to the people of this country - the people who cannot pay their energy bills and the people pulling up to the filling stations who cannot pay for their fuel. We have found out today that part of this debate will kick out the farmers' rebate for farming contractors. That will not be tolerated. It could lead to strikes in this country, which we do not need to see again. We need further and proper debate today in this Dáil.

I have heard the contributions from the Members opposite. Every single Member of this House agreed to the recess. There was not one person who objected to it, just for the record of the Dáil and so people listening will know. To be clear, we are here today to ensure excise increases on petrol and diesel do not go ahead next week or in October. There is a single financial resolution before the House today. The time allocated for debate, one hour, is exactly the same as we had for four previous financial resolutions in March and April. We are not here today to announce the budget; that will happen on 6 October. The public await the certainty that the cost of filling up at the pumps will not be increasing because of excise increases and we need to get on with providing that certainty. The proposal for today's business stands.

Before I call the Tánaiste, on behalf of Deputy Martin Daly, I welcome a representative from the State Legislature in Louisiana, Mr. Peter Egan. Peter is from Ballygar in Galway, which is Deputy Daly's hometown, and he is here on a trade mission. He is most welcome.