Carol Nolan: Government Has 'Neglected Working People'
Carol Nolan addresses fuel protests in Offaly, condemning government spending choices and warning that hardworking people are at breaking point. She cites Budget 2026 figures and the asylum system as evidence and urges the government to prioritise farmers, hauliers and small businesses.
Protests in Offaly
Carol Nolan stood with constituents at fuel protests in county Offaly. She described conversations with self-employed people and a young business owner whose business faces imminent closure, and framed those encounters as proof of growing distress among working families.
Spending and priorities
Nolan criticised government priorities highlighted in Budget 2026, pointing to overseas aid and spending on the asylum system and the Children's Hospital as examples where, she says, taxpayer money has been squandered while Irish people struggle. She argued that Irish citizens are being forced to come "kicking, begging and screaming" for assistance.
Call to account
Nolan challenged the Taoiseach and ministers to meet constituents and show leadership, saying the government has taken the country in the wrong direction. She pledged to continue standing up for farmers, hauliers, ag contractors and small businesses and warned that voters will not forget the government's choices at the ballot box.
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At the fuel protests in Offaly, I was delighted to stand with my constituents hard-working, decent people who have really worked hard and who are very very frustrated and I've met groups in Bòr, in Tullamore and in Clachan. Many self-employed people told me they just can't keep going and indeed today I just met a young business person, he tells me his business is gone next week. I mean this is shameful. You have neglected the working people of this country, you have squandered Irish taxpayers money and when they want some of their own money back they have to come kicking, begging and screaming for their own money and for assistance. It's disgraceful what you've done and I really don't understand it because we know that there's billions being thrown at the asylum system, we know that 840 million euro went out in overseas aid and that's highlighted in Budget 2026. That's disgraceful and yet we have Irish people coming kicking, begging and screaming and I'm hearing people every day of the week in my offices who are at absolute breaking point and I'm ashamed of what this government has done. I'm ashamed and I'm glad to say I'm not part of this government and I truly believe that you have gone the wrong direction entirely. You're squandering money where it shouldn't be squandered. Let's look at the Children's Hospital, let's look at the overseas aid, let's look at the asylum system where we have unvetted migrants coming into this country all the time. That's fact, that's fact. You're squandering money. It needs to stop. You need to stand up for the hard-working Irish people, the farmers, the hauliers, the ag contractors, the small businesses. They should not have to come kicking and screaming for money. You need to listen to them. Why weren't you out meeting them? Why wasn't the Taoiseach out in Cork meeting his own constituents? That would have been true leadership and I am absolutely appalled. I'm here to stand up and serve my constituents in Offaly and this is certainly something that will never be forgotten. You will reap the benefit at the ballot box.
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