Jack Chambers: Defending Ireland's record energy support
Jack Chambers addresses the Dáil on the government response to the Middle East conflict and the global energy crisis, outlining targeted support for households, workers and businesses. He condemns recent blockades and disruptions as reckless and explains why Ireland is able to provide large-scale, time-bound assistance.
Support measures: In his address, Chambers details that in the space of six weeks more than £700 million of support has been made available to workers, households, businesses and the sectors most exposed to increased fuel prices. He highlights reductions in excise at the pump, expansion of the fuel allowance and targeted help for transport and agriculture.
Why this is possible: Chambers attributes the scale and speed of the response to the strength of Ireland's economy and public finances, citing continuous budget surpluses since 1922, record employment and growing reserves. He notes that by the end of this year £24 billion will be set aside into two long-term funds to build resilience.
Political context: The minister rejects opposition calls for higher tax and higher spending, arguing his government has taken responsible, pro-enterprise decisions to build capacity to meet future shocks. He warns that the uncertainty from the conflict in the Middle East could have longer-term consequences for prices and inflation.
Law and order concerns: Chambers condemns recent actions that blockaded critical infrastructure, restricted free movement and threatened the Garda Síochána, calling those actions reckless and deeply concerning for society. He stresses the government will continue to listen and provide support to relieve pressure on people and businesses.
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Comhairle, the conflict in the Middle East and the global energy crisis has created major challenges for economies around the world and the government fully understands the significant pressure that rising costs are placing on so many families, workers and businesses across our country. All deputies in this House are listening to people and businesses who are struggling. Listening, engaging and understanding is what has informed this significant intervention that the government has been able to make. However, the sum of the actions in the last week at blockading critical infrastructure, restricting free movement of people, disrupting critical supply chains and threatening our Garda Síochána is reckless, irresponsible and deeply concerning for our society. In the space of six weeks, more than £700 million of support has now been made available to workers, households, businesses and the sectors most exposed to the increased fuel prices. Following specific engagement, we have obviously provided support in transport, agriculture, but unlike what Deputy Bacik said there, the majority of workers across the economy will benefit from the reduction in excise in terms of the price at the pump and also the significant support that has been made around the expansion of the fuel allowance. While all countries are impacted, none have responded on the scale we have been able to provide for our citizens with the largest per capita support package of any EU member state. We are working hard to listen to people and to make sure that the pressure that is on them is relieved, but until then, and over the next few years, we will continue to provide support for the people of Ireland. The reason Ireland is uniquely placed to make such a timely, time-bound and targeted intervention is because of the strength of our economy and of our public finances. We have run budget surpluses every year since 1922. We have record employment levels and half a million more people working in our economy than at the start of the decade. We continue to reduce our debt. We are delivering record expansion of public services. By the end of this year, we will have put £24 billion aside into two long-term funds. This is why we have been able to respond to the sudden global economic shocks. Our economic strength has not been created by chance. It is because of the hard work of Irish people and of the responsible and sensible decisions taken by government, grounded in a pro-enterprise approach, being careful in how we expand expenditure. All I hear from the opposition is a model of higher tax, higher spending, more expansion and continued populism in every decision that they seek to promote. The decisions that we take at all times have been responsible, always in the national interest, building resilience. A response to the challenge of today must allow us to be able to respond to the unknown challenges of tomorrow. As we speak, huge uncertainty remains about the conflict in the Middle East and the knock-on long-term impact of that conflict on prices and inflation.
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