The construction sector will be included in the Government’s latest fuel support package, according to Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris. The measures, due to be formally announced tomorrow morning, will also provide assistance to the agriculture, quarrying, haulage, fisheries, and aquaculture sectors.
Speaking before Cabinet, Mr Harris said supports would be introduced for “various vehicles and construction sites.” He stressed that the Government wanted to avoid delays to building activity during the current housing crisis, saying the last thing needed was for construction work to slow at such a critical time.
The package includes targeted aid for up to 120,000 farmers and 1,500 full-time agricultural contractors. When combined with previously announced excise reductions, the measures will amount to an effective saving of €274 on every 1,000 litres of green diesel purchased. These payments will cover the period from March until the end of July.
An additional €15 million has been allocated to support the fisheries and aquaculture industries, both of which have also been hit by higher fuel costs.
Government party leaders agreed last night that contractors and quarry operators would be covered under a separate tailored scheme. Meanwhile, the Road Transporters Support Scheme is expected to apply to as many as 50,000 vehicles, including buses. The Department of Transport estimates that a typical haulage company could receive around €16,230 in assistance.
The Irish Road Haulage Association welcomed the announcement, describing it as an important recognition of the severe pressures facing transport operators due to ongoing fuel price instability and wider supply chain disruption.
During Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the war in the Middle East had created major constraints in global oil supplies, resulting in sharp increases in energy prices. He argued that the scale of the disruption was greater than the combined energy shocks of 1973, 1979 and 2022.
Mr Martin warned that shortages of products such as fertilisers and helium could also have serious implications for jobs and businesses internationally. He said helping farmers and hauliers would play a key role in keeping food prices manageable and ensuring goods continued to reach supermarkets.
The Taoiseach again ruled out a mini-budget, saying the Government did not have unlimited funds available.
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Opposition parties criticised the package as insufficient and poorly targeted. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said families and workers were deeply worried about the months ahead and accused the Government of failing to provide certainty. She renewed calls for an emergency budget, including a permanent reduction in USC that she said would leave €500 extra in people’s pockets.
Mr Harris said he believed the economic impact of the conflict involving Iran would be most strongly felt during the winter months. Even if hostilities ended immediately, he said households would still require support later in the year. He added that the Government needed to keep “some powder dry” for the colder season, when energy pressures are typically more severe.
Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said reducing the cost of green diesel would benefit consumers across the country and insisted the decision was not a direct response to recent fuel protests and road blockades. He said the measure would help offset rising costs during the busy silage season and before the cereal harvest.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill supported that view, saying support for farmers ultimately benefits the wider economy through food supply and pricing.
Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty described the Government’s response as “tone deaf,” arguing many households were already struggling before recent increases in petrol, diesel, and heating oil prices.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett called for fuel and energy price controls, free public transport, and energy credits of at least €500.
Labour’s Ged Nash said PAYE workers had been ignored and urged a mini-budget focused on their needs.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns warned of a possible economic shock and called for immediate €400 energy credits for households earning under €70,000.
