Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-21
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

I do not agree with the Deputy's analysis. The Government understands fully the pressure people are under as a result of the various cost shocks over recent years from Covid to the invasion of Ukraine, when inflation was at its peak of 10%. We understand that. Prices are at an elevated high and now the war in the Middle East has again created a significant shock in terms of fossil fuel supply globally and prices. Every country across the world is grappling with this reality.
We have responded in a substantial, targeted and sustainable way - not just a global sum of €750 million but in terms of food production, road haulage and a reduction in excise duties, which benefits everybody. We will continue to keep a focus on this. In terms of home heating and other issues, we have to look at more permanent ways to ease pressures on families, particularly from energy pricing more generally.
The Deputy referenced the Government surplus but, as she knows, there is an Exchequer deficit of about €1.8 billion. The Deputy knows what is happening here. We are transferring funding from the Exchequer into the investment funds so it is not as if there are billions hanging round in a drawer somewhere to just take and spend. The Deputy surely knows that. What is happening with that funding is that it is being invested in people, housing, energy and infrastructure and offshore wind projects. That is what ISIF is doing - solar farm financing, grid expansion and interconnectors, battery storage systems for renewables, building energy retrofit programmes, the EV charging clean public transport fleet, the circular economy, forestry carbon sequestration projects, national scale retrofit financing platforms, equity in large housing developments, delivery of nationwide housing supply, mixed tenure schemes, urban regeneration partnerships and regional housing projects. That is where the investments are happening and much more than that.
However, the Deputy seems to misunderstand that, or is she saying we should wind up the funds - the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund? The Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund is helping to fund the metro. Is the Deputy saying we should scrap the metro? Is she saying we should scrap these projects in which ISIF is investing? I think that would be a huge mistake. We are very clear that housing remains our ultimate priority. Infrastructure is key to everybody in the country. That is clear. Disability and child poverty are other issues. These are areas on which we have focused very strongly and are in a position to target.
The Deputy does not pay any heed to these factors. She seems to want to risk everything in the middle of this war. I think that would be a foolish thing to do. Notwithstanding what I have said, I think it does make sense, after a €750 million allocation so far, that we would look at how, structurally, we can ease the pressure on families permanently in the energy cost area. That will take a bit of work because we need to be targeted in how we allocate people's resources. That is a fundamental point that I think the Deputy consistently ignores.
An aidhm atá againn ná cabhair agus tacaíocht a thabhairt do dhaoine. Tá roinnt déanta againn. Níl aon amhras faoi sin. Is é seo ceann de na pacáistí is mó ar fud na hEorpa. Tá níos mó le déanamh againn. Beidh moltaí againn i gcomhthéacs na cáinaisnéise a bheidh againn i mí Dheireadh Fómhair. Beimid in ann an brú atá ar dhaoine a laghdú níos mó. Sin an aidhm atá againn.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-21