Taoiseach Micheál Martin has defended the Government's approach to fuel supports amid growing concerns regarding rising costs across the country.
Speaking at a sod-turning ceremony for the Richmond Village housing development in Fairview in Dublin, Mr Martin insisted that fuel supports for households and retaining key sectors remain fiscally sustainable are the top priority, as he defended the Government's intervention on fuel prices, and rejected criticism over the approach.
"We are conscious of fiscal sustainability, and we need to make sure that whatever we do is fiscally sustainable over the medium term," he said.
Mr Martin continued: "And again we have to, from a strategic perspective, we do have to pivot more to renewables because that ultimately is the way to reduce cost for the country overall, and also independence of supply."
"We want this war to end because wars of this kind create shocks".
The Fianna Fáil leader has added that support for agriculture and haulage was appropriate, before warning that higher fuel costs were beginning to seep into other sectors.
"We’re already getting feedback from the construction sector that additional costs are beginning to feed in there", he stated. "So we’re doing our best as a Government to try and alleviate pressures on families and on key sectors".
Elsewhere, Mr Martin added that he was concerned following a clerical error regarding the recording of military overflights. He also dismissed reports that the State was colluding in the war with Iran.
The Taoiseach said this incident was unusual for the Department of Foreign Affairs, which he called a "really efficient, professional department".
Mr Martin added that it was "a stretch by any yardstick" to insinuate that the Government was facilitating any conflict because of overflights, calling any such claim as "not a sustainable proposition".
The Taoiseach's comments come a week after he had insisted that his position as Fianna Fáil leader is not under threat "in any form".
"I do not in any shape or form feel under threat. I do acknowledge the extraordinary pressure ... on families and people across the country in terms of the impact of rising oil prices as a result of the war in the Middle East", he said. More on this from Nova here.
Elsewhere, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also came in for strong criticism over recent comments he made about rural Ireland, farmer subsidies, and who is "paying the bills" in the country.
See more on this story from Nova here.
