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have been put to the pin of their collar for years now. Virtually everyone is being touched in some way by this fossil fuel crisis. While the Government has produced a €750 million package, however necessary it was, it was designed to placate sectoral interests. It has done … energy independence and more developed renewable generation capacity have been able to weather this storm far more effectively. Look at Spain. Following the fuel crisis that arose as a result of Putin’s illegal war on Ukraine, they turbo-charged their solar energy capacity and have been largely

honest about what is happening here. There is a view that the Government is a bystander when it comes to the fuel crisis in this country. This Government is the primary engine of inflation in fuel and its cost in this country at the moment. For sure there … there was a fuel crisis before the war even started. There were 320,000 people in energy arrears before the war even started. The Government was taking 60% to 65% of the cost of petrol and diesel out of people’s pockets before the war even started

response to the fuel crisis, other countries are rolling out additional services. Some are making public transport free, which we have called for for a long time. The Government did not provide any funding for new services in this budget. Will it reverse that decision in light … fuel crisis? Will it provide additional funding for new services to be rapidly rolled out to alleviate the fuel and cost-of-living crisis and to enable us to get off the reliance on fossil fuels as quickly as possible

financial resolutions that were passed through these Houses and came into effect in March and again in April in relation to the fuel crisis. Section 1, as the Minister of State said, relates to the increase in the diesel rebate scheme. I have raised this issue on many … that he and his Government were going to put taxes on people in the middle of the crisis. His immediate reaction to the fuel crisis was to dig his heels in and refuse to consider postponing a carbon tax increase. Think of that from the perspective of someone

Minister does not understand the scale of the crisis or the lived experience of many people across the State. Before we had a fuel crisis, 320,000 families could not pay their electricity bills. Families were pushed to the pin of the collar because of increases in grocery … childcare costs that were like a second mortgage. A generation felt home ownership was outside of the reach because of Government policies. The fuel crisis, brought on by external factors, has tipped people over the edge. People expect the Government to respond. I spoke to the Minister about

interesting that this Bill is being discussed in the Dáil in the middle of a fuel crisis for so many people. The Bill will focus on air pollution while many family businesses and small business will struggle simply to keep their houses warm in this fuel crisis … That is an incredible image. Pensioners who worked all their lives in this country are now forced, due to the lack of affordable fuel, to sit in front of an electric oven to keep warm. In many ways, it puts this discussion into perspective. There is a slow

insult to a critical cornerstone of our economy. Many members of the agriculture sector were on their knees long before this fuel crisis. Will the Minister of State please reassure farmers, contractors, the haulage sector and the fishing industry that this package will be continually reviewed in light … respect the work they do? Based on the conversations I have had with many in this sector, long before this fuel crisis, the answer to that question is "No". We need to act on this and we need to act swiftly. On home heating, I acknowledge there

they are taking their life into their hands when they decide to cycle to work. Returning to my main point, I hope this fuel crisis will serve as further evidence for this Government of the pitfalls of a transport system built primarily around private car use, not only … fuel, for energy security purposes, given that he later acknowledged that every energy crisis since the 1970s has been due to a crisis in fossil fuels arising out of a conflict. I appreciate the Taoiseach’s acknowledgement that the source of market volatility, and the reason people

deserve every opportunity to get home in a reasonable fashion. I will also raise the very important issue of the cost of fuel. This crisis in the Middle East is going to cause devastation right across Ireland as a result of its impact on the cost of living … struggling to pay their bills, I urge the Minister of State to suspend carbon tax and to reduce the cost of fuel during this crisis. In the past decade, this Government has taken more than €35 billion in tax on fuel, and a significant portion of that comes

crisis after crisis. We are living through a series of crises. It is an omnicrisis happening all at once: a housing crisis; a fuel crisis; a food and cost-of-living crisis; a childcare crisis; health and mental health crises; and a disability crisis. People are exhausted, angry … flooding that is ripping up the roads and damaging homes. The climate crisis is driving food insecurity through higher food prices and reduced access to good, nutritious food. It contributes to energy instability and rising fuel costs. It places greater pressure on public services in the communities that

back of an energy security review, but the landscape has changed completely since that review was carried. Even prior to the present fossil fuel crisis, during pre-legislative scrutiny, the committee heard extensive evidence suggesting the assumptions made when the review was conducted around demand, security risks, renewable … included in the proposed law. I would like to know whether any assessment has been carried out on the impact the recent crisis in the fuel markets has had on the Government's cost estimate. The European benchmark price for LNG soared by as much

come for this windfall tax to be reintroduced, and that is what we in the Labour Party are calling for today. This fossil fuel crisis has touched more or less every household and small business in the country. We know that 500,000 households are already in arrears … people in the here and now but the longer-term ambition has to be reducing our dependence on the fossil fuels that have caused this crisis. That means putting the supports in place to help people switch to EVs, particularly in more rural areas with a less developed

time that we would continue to engage with those most impacted, but also recognising the evolving nature of this crisis, including the possibility that fuel costs might ease in the event of a ceasefire. This has not been the case and so engagement has continued. The Opposition does … democracy. It must always be respected and, indeed, we must all protect it. However, preventing fuel from reaching communities during a fuel crisis, at a time when supply chains are under pressure, only risks shortages and places further strain on communities. I again stress that the strains

back from the late 1970s through every decade to the present day. The one constant was that every energy crisis was a fossil fuel crisis generated through war and conflict with the most recent being the Russian invasion of Ukraine before this war. The Deputy attacked the wind … actually creating a scenario where there would be more energy dependence into the future and an energy dependence on fossil fuels, which would be a disaster for the country. If this teaches us anything, it is the necessity to double down on our focus and investment in renewables

headline after headline about people being called back into the workplace. People are dealing with a cost-of-living crisis and now a fuel crisis and there are ways we can respond to that as a society. During the Covid-19 pandemic, remote working became something that worked

moment of revolution in our energy system. What we are experiencing at present is not an energy crisis; it is a fossil fuel crisis. Many of us have been sounding the alarm about our dependence on oil and gas for years from a climate perspective, but the last … reaching our climate targets. Ordinary workers, households and small businesses are now paying the price for our overreliance on dirty fossil fuels. I was really glad to hear an acknowledgement from the Tánaiste yesterday morning that our dependence on fossil fuels is not sustainable, but the inertia

made the climate emergency all too real for every one of us in Ireland. The energy crisis we face is a fossil fuels crisis. Many of us grew up hearing about the oil price crises of 1973 and 1979. Now, our generation is experiencing the second energy price … down, that Ireland needs real climate action. The energy crisis is a consequence of the climate emergency. It is time for the Government to act. Let us establish our energy independence. Let us protect Irish households from high fuel bills into the future. Let us take that huge

have been destroyed in Iran. These are sophisticated structures and will take time to be rebuilt. This will prolong the fuel crisis we are going through. No government can shield any country from this level of volatility. Therefore, I welcome the targeted measures that are being introduced … this crisis, it is that we must expand our move to renewable energies. Our goal is 80% by 2030. This crisis highlights our dependence on imported fossil fuels. We simply need more renewables. We need to expand our capacity, protect our consumers from the volatile markets and accelerate

would not be a massive revenue impact from it if we were to incentivise it. We are now in the context of a fuel crisis. We are aware we cannot control the wholesale price of fuel in this country because of wars in Iran, in the Middle East … Ukraine. We understand the crisis is there. We came back at the end of August to vote to ensure the reduction in the excise on fuel continued because we know we have to safeguard it. We are talking about doing this and reducing the carbon tax but here

Government is making more on fuel taxes now than it ever did before. In the cost-of-living crisis, the Government is quids-in in terms of fuel taxes in this country. As diesel increased … cent, the Government took 8 cent extra in VAT. The Government is profiteering off the misery of families in terms of the fuel crisis. The State is €14 million better off because of the taxes caused by this energy crisis across the country. That is scandalous. The Government

have no doubt that it will continue to do so. As regards rural Ireland, I know better than most the impact that the fuel crisis is having on households in my constituency and others. I appreciate that people living in rural Ireland are twice as likely … facts are that this Government has acted time and again to provide for households at risk of fuel poverty, and to ease the burden on all households impacted by the crisis. The upcoming budget will build on the work of budget 2026 to protect households from rising energy

Families and businesses are now living through the second global fossil fuel crisis in five years. We are increasingly vulnerable as long as we depend on energy imports. Unless we take action to diversify away from fossil fuels, we will again be hit by the next crisis. When

before I could do so. I welcome the opportunity to speak about the supply constraints we are experiencing as a result of the fuel crisis. Brent crude is now at $114 a barrel, down slightly from $126 a barrel earlier this week but it remains very high … acute disruptions caused by the war ease in May, and there is no guarantee that will happen. The energy crisis has laid bare our dependency on fossil fuels. The answer is clear - we must get away from fossil and accelerate the take-up of renewable. While

Government. The groups the Government decided were worthy enough of a meeting last week are not the only people who suffered during the fuel crisis. People providing meals on wheels, community workers and the carers I spoke about covered huge geographical areas in Mayo. One of the workers … cost-of-disability payment to help the most vulnerable in society through the prolonged cost-of-living crisis. Now these people are faced with soaring fuel costs and no support from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. These carers cannot afford the fuel to put in their cars

workers and families in the middle of what was already a cost-of-living crisis. It is important to remember that, before the fuel crisis was brought on by the attacks in Iran and the impacts of the attacks Iran has launched in the Middle East

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to urgently address the fuel crisis and rising fuel costs, which are causing fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26894/26

Barrett asked the Minister for Transport if he will reconsider his position and introduce free public transport, in the light of the recent fuel crisis, the need to reduce fossil fuel and to address the cost-of-living crisis; and if he will make a statement

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if people who are not tax compliant due to the current financial pressure from the fuel crisis be accepted into the fuel support scheme. [29276/26

Climate, Energy and the Environment whether he intends on proceeding with his plans to develop a floating LNG terminal given the recent fossil fuel crisis during which the price of LNG soared by as much as 60%; whether he will instead pivot towards rapidly scaling up our renewable

Marine whether contingency measures are in place to ensure swift action for farmers in the event of a further escalation of the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52228/26

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department intends to review legislation on flexible working arrangements in the context of the current fuel crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30948/26

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will seek additional investment in public transport in light of the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46090/26

Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider expanding the free travel scheme to more recipients in light of the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31414/26

will seek substantial additional investment in public transport so that more services can be rapidly rolled out in response to the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31435/26

Minister for Transport if he will abolish fares for public transport as is being done in other countries in response to the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31434/26

additional measures he will put in place to support small and medium-sized enterprises facing increased operating costs arising from the ongoing fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30925/26

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department intends to review legislation on remote working arrangements in the context of the current fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30948/26

Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will urgently announce a simplified version of the measures taken to address the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29428/26

taking to support private bus and coach operators in the provision of school transport in rural regions in light of the cost of fuel crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29119/26

Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the further measures he is considering to support sectors that are struggling with the current fuel crisis, in particular the agricultural sector, haulage and private bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26753/26

estimated 25% of national electricity demand, are designated to receive fuel from the State’s strategic reserves in the event of a national fuel crisis or emergency; the criteria used to determine such prioritisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28210/26

fees for school transport have increased; if she will instruct her officials not to pass on any increase to parents until the current fuel crisis has abated; if not, the measures she will enact to protect families from increases; and if she will make a statement

Heritage to confirm that all services and call outs by the ambulance and fire services are continuing as normal in the current fuel crisis and that no directive has been issued to reduce same [27892/26

Health to confirm that all services and call outs by the ambulance and fire services are continuing as normal in the current fuel crisis and that no directive has been issued to reduce same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27891/26

asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the actions that are being taken to ensure energy security with the current global fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27076/26

costs of fuel will be fully offset by the supports offered to the public; the plans his Department have to ensure the current fuel crisis is at least revenue neutral; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27445/26

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his views on a new taskforce which may be set up in response to the current fuel crisis (details supplied) to “fast track” renewable energy; the way this differs from the accelerating renewable energy taskforce; to outline its objectives and membership

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his views on a new taskforce which may be set up in response to the current fuel crisis (details supplied) to “fast track” renewable energy; the way this differs from the accelerating renewable energy taskforce; to outline its objectives and membership

Functions Act 2023 or sought to utilise powers under the Fuels (Control of Supplies) Act 1971 in response to the current cost of fuel crisis. [26420/26

Youth to not proceed with the school bus fees increase for 2026-2027 with the current financial pressure on families with the fuel crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26698/26