I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding fuel prices. On Tuesday, 14 April 2026, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.
Fuel Prices: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Pearse Doherty on Tuesday, 14 April 2026:
That Dáil Éireann:
recognises that:
— unsustainably high energy and fuel prices in this state further compounded a pre-existing cost of living crisis;
— the duty of the Government is to protect people from severe energy shocks to the greatest extent possible; and
— the Government has the ability to cut the cost of fuel;
notes that:
— home heating oil has hit the highest price on record going back 30 years;
— petrol and diesel are on course to exceed their highest price on record this month; and
— the price of green diesel and other fuels are at unsustainably high levels;
condemns the Government for:
— not reconvening the Dáil last week and not introducing emergency supports;
— delays and half measures that abandoned many households and left sectors of the economy badly exposed; and
— not engaging directly with the protestors that has made the situation worse; and
calls on the Government to:
— take the maximum action necessary to cut fuel prices so they are affordable for the workers, families and sectors that rely on them.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that the Government:
— remains deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Gulf;
— continues to seek de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy so that these issues can be resolved;
— recognises and understands the pressures that have arisen due to rising fuel costs as a result of war in Ukraine and the Middle East, on all families and businesses;
— affirms that energy affordability is a priority for this Government, and highlights that successive Budgets have provided targeted support to help households with cost-of-living pressures;
— remains committed to decarbonising our society, increasing investment in renewable energy sources, and using revenues raised to protect those most vulnerable to fuel poverty through targeted welfare interventions;
recognises that:
— carbon tax is a key pillar underpinning the Government's Climate Action Plan to halve emissions by 2030, and reach net zero no later than 2050;
— analysis undertaken using SWITCH, the ESRI tax and benefit model, to simulate the impact of the carbon tax increase, and the compensatory welfare package estimates that the net impact of the combined measures is progressive and that half of households are better off due to the measures part-funded by additional carbon tax funds, with households in the bottom four income deciles benefitting the most; and
— in the long run the best way to protect Ireland from the impact of international fossil fuel prices is to reduce our dependence on them, which will be achieved through the progressive decarbonisation of the Irish economy and society, and through the steps that will be taken to meet the Government's commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050;
further notes that the previous package of supports announced by Government on 24th March, included measures that:
— reduced the Mineral Oil Tax applying to petrol, diesel and Marked Gas Oil (MGO) by 15, 20 and 3 cents, respectively, on a Value-Added Tax (VAT) inclusive basis, until 31st May, at a cost of €150 million;
— reduced the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) levy by nearly 2 cents, at a cost of €20 million in income forgone to NORA;
— reduced the cost of petrol, diesel and MGO at the pump by 17, 22 and 5 cents in total, on a VAT inclusive basis;
— provided targeted relief to haulage and bus passenger operators, by increasing the maximum repayment allowable under the Diesel Rebate Scheme from 7.5 cent up to 12 cent per litre of diesel, for the first two quarters of 2026, at a cost of €10 million; and
— extended the fuel allowance season by four weeks, to provide essential support to those most vulnerable to fuel poverty, at a cost of €70 million;
highlights that newly introduced measures will extend the duration of the reduced mineral oil tax rates from the end of May until the end of July, and apply further reductions to these rates by, on a VAT inclusive basis, 10 cent per litre on petrol, 10 cent per litre on diesel and 2.4 cent per litre on MGO, at an estimated cost of €260 million; and
furthermore, notes that the combined effect of the measures announced on 24th March, and on 12th April, are to:
— reduce the cost of diesel by 32 cent;
— reduce the cost of petrol by 27 cent;
— reduce the cost of MGO by 7.4 cent;
— postpone the increase in carbon tax scheduled for 1st May, until the Budget in October, at an estimated cost of €22 million;
— enhance the Transport Support Schemes for all haulage operators, local link and school transport providers, and some commercial operators, at a monthly cost of €40 million;
— introduce a Fuel Subsidy Support Scheme for farming and fisheries, at a cost of €100 million, to ensure that those most exposed to fuel price increases will receive meaningful assistance at the most critical time of year;
— be a significant response to real pressures being felt here, and globally;
— be one of the most comprehensive support packages in the European Union; and
— directly help people impacted by this unprecedented global crisis in energy supply resulting from the war in the Middle East.".
(Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Deputy Alan Dillon)
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 84; Níl, 65; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Aird, William.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Boland, Grace.
- Brabazon, Tom.
- Brennan, Brian.
- Brennan, Shay.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Butterly, Paula.
- Buttimer, Jerry.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Michael.
- Callaghan, Catherine.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
- Connolly, John.
- Cooney, Joe.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Martin.
- Dempsey, Aisling.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Dolan, Albert.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Geoghegan, James.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Harkin, Marian.
- Harris, Simon.
- Heneghan, Barry.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Keogh, Keira.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Lowry, Michael.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Maxwell, David.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McCarthy, Noel.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McCormack, Tony.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Séamus.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Moynihan, Shane.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Joe.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Maeve.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Meara, Ryan.
- O'Shea, John Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- Ó Muirí, Naoise.
- Roche, Peter.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Timmins, Edward.
- Toole, Gillian.
- Troy, Robert.
- Ward, Barry.
Níl
- Ahern, Ciarán.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bennett, Cathy.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Byrne, Joanna.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Cummins, Jen.
- Devine, Máire.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrelly, Aidan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Gibney, Sinéad.
- Gogarty, Paul Nicholas.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Graves, Ann.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Hayes, Eoin.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Hearne, Rory.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Eoghan.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, Paul.
- Lawlor, George.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGuinness, Conor D.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
- Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Robert.
- O'Flynn, Ken.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Hara, Louis.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
- Quaide, Liam.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rice, Pádraig.
- Sheehan, Conor.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Wall, Mark.
- Ward, Mark.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 84; Níl, 65; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Aird, William.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Boland, Grace.
- Brabazon, Tom.
- Brennan, Brian.
- Brennan, Shay.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Butterly, Paula.
- Buttimer, Jerry.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Michael.
- Callaghan, Catherine.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
- Connolly, John.
- Cooney, Joe.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Martin.
- Dempsey, Aisling.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Dolan, Albert.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Geoghegan, James.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Harkin, Marian.
- Harris, Simon.
- Heneghan, Barry.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Keogh, Keira.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Lowry, Michael.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Maxwell, David.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McCarthy, Noel.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McCormack, Tony.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Séamus.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Moynihan, Shane.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Joe.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Maeve.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Meara, Ryan.
- O'Shea, John Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- Ó Muirí, Naoise.
- Roche, Peter.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Timmins, Edward.
- Toole, Gillian.
- Troy, Robert.
- Ward, Barry.
Níl
- Ahern, Ciarán.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bennett, Cathy.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Byrne, Joanna.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Cummins, Jen.
- Devine, Máire.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrelly, Aidan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Gibney, Sinéad.
- Gogarty, Paul Nicholas.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Graves, Ann.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Hayes, Eoin.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Hearne, Rory.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Eoghan.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, Paul.
- Lawlor, George.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGuinness, Conor D.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
- Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Robert.
- O'Flynn, Ken.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Hara, Louis.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
- Quaide, Liam.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rice, Pádraig.
- Sheehan, Conor.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Wall, Mark.
- Ward, Mark.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.
Question declared carried.