The Taoiseach has said the Government would “certainly want to help” people on lower incomes with the rising cost of energy but has stopped short of giving specific commitments.
Speaking to journalists in Washington on Monday, Micheál Martin indicated that a package of measures was being prepared but he declined to give any timescale for its implementation.
However, he stressed he wanted any package to be “targeted” and to take account of longer-term impacts on the overall budget.
“We want a targeted approach at one level where we understand that people are under a lot of pressure. And therefore, those on low incomes, we certainly want to help,” he said.
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Fuel and home-heating oil prices have risen sharply since the US and Israel began a campaign of strikes on Iran more than two weeks ago, prompting calls from Opposition politicians and lobby groups for the Government to intervene to ease the burden.
Pressed to confirm that some sort of support package was on the way, the Taoiseach said the Government wanted “to do this in a measured, balanced way that targets resources and that is effective”.
“I’m very clear, I’m always a believer in, if you’re doing something, prepare it properly, announce it when it’s ready, and that would be my approach in terms of doing something.”
Tánaiste Simon Harris, who visited Downing Street in London on Monday to meet UK chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves, later said the Government was considering a range of measures it could implement if the conflict in Iran drags on.
He suggested that extending the fuel allowance season, which is due to end in April, would be one way to combat fuel poverty, especially for older people. He also mentioned a reduction in fuel excise as a possibility.
Harris played down a plan announced hours earlier in Downing Street to spend £53 million to help households cope with higher home-heating oil prices. He said the British intervention “has to be seen in the context of the size of the UK”.
Following calls by US president Donald Trump for assistance from allies to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, the Taoiseach ruled out any Irish involvement in military operations there.
“We’re not a military power,” he said. “We don’t have that offensive military capacity in any shape or form. So obviously that’s not something that’s on our agenda.”
He added: “I think it’s our view is that we need a peaceful resolution of this ... I think there is obviously huge concern about the economic implications globally, energy price increases, and so on. But that works both ways and I think Iran is recklessly attacking all the Gulf states.”
Harris said the Government does not back Trump’s calls for western militaries to escort oil tankers through the strait, as ramping up military activity would not resolve the situation.
Rather than seeking creative ways to increase passage through the strait, he said all parties involved should instead focus on “de-escalation” of the war.
The Taoiseach on Monday attended a number of business-related events in Washington as part of his four-day visit to the US for St Patrick’s Day.
A large number of Irish and US business leaders have descended on Washington for the events, regarded as a key part of efforts to promote continued US investment in Ireland. There is also a focus on highlighting the growing extent of Irish investment in the US, something the Taoiseach will be keen to stress in his engagements with Trump, US vice-president JD Vance and congressional leaders.
[ Cost of home-heating oil rises 60% in a week, but where is the money going?Opens in new window ]
In advance of his meeting with Trump, Martin declined to be drawn on his preparations or speculate about their discussions.
“Life is unpredictable. Politics is unpredictable and so I’m enjoying what I’m doing today,” he said.
“I’m focused on the functions I have today, and then we take tomorrow when it comes. I’m looking forward to it ... I’m looking forward to meeting the president. Looking forward to meeting the vice-president. And I’m looking forward to lunch on the Hill ... So that’s the frame of mind.”
Harris responded to reports that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, who visited the White House last year, could turn up in during the Taoiseach’s visit to Washington this week.
He said he felt McGregor, a critic of Government policy on immigration and other issues, “represented the worst of Irish society”. The Tánaiste contrasted him with Oscar winner Jessie Buckley, whom he said represented “the best of Ireland”.
“But it is up to the US who they let in their country,” he added.
