Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2026
216. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether the Government’s current budget surplus influenced the scale and duration of the proposed fuel price interventions, and if so, how this assessment was balanced against current cost-of-living pressures. [23353/26]
View answerThe temporary supports announced this week strike an appropriate balance by providing support to households and firms most impacted by rising energy costs, without unduly adding to inflationary pressures.
We must remain flexible in our response. These measures are in place for a defined period of time. As we will navigate this period of volatility, Government reserves the option to adjust its approach as circumstances evolve.
Ireland’s Medium Term Fiscal & Structural Plan was designed to provide Government with the flexibility to respond as necessary to unforeseen shocks. I am confident that the targeted, affordable and temporary measures announced by Government can be accommodated within the existing aggregate spending ceiling.
It is because of our record of solid management of the public finances that we have been able to respond swiftly and decisively to the energy price shock. It is essential that our approach to overall budgetary policy remains balanced and sustainable over the medium term.
