Taoiseach says ‘we can learn from last week’ ahead of confidence vote
By Grainne Ni Aodha and Bairbre Holmes, Press Association
The Taoiseach has said the Government “can learn from the last week” ahead of a confidence motion due to be debated on Tuesday afternoon.
A vote of confidence in the government will be held shortly after the Dáil reconvenes at 2pm following the Easter break.
Sinn Féin triggered the vote after a week of widespread disruption to traffic and fuel supplies caused by protests and blockades of fuel depots.
The Government condemned the protests as “wrong” and “illegitimate”, while the justice minister issued a statement to say that An Garda Síochána had requested the help of the Army.
Despite days-long blockades at fuel depots and Ireland’s only oil refinery being cleared at the weekend by gardai, it is expected to take days for ports and fuel depots to return to normal.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the Government had an “obligation” to act when fuel supplies were affected by the protests, while Tánaiste Simon Harris said it was “important to be humble and be listening in a Government”.
Asked if it was important that the Government not to take for granted how difficult the cost of living is for people, Martin said on his way into Cabinet: “We never do, but they’re always learnings, yes.
“We understand fully that people are under very significant pressure.
“We’re very conscious of the pressures that are on families and of course, we can learn from the last week.”
He said that when the Government was warned Ireland’s only oil refinery at Whitegate in Co Cork would have to close due to blockades, “there was absolute obligation on Government to act to protect the people, really, as well”.
He added: “That’s how we had to clear Whitegate and the ports, because we export about 90% of everything we make in this country.
“The ports are the lifeblood of economy, and if the ports were blockaded for any length of time, people would have lost jobs, part-time production would have ceased, and it would have been very, very serious.
“So that’s the balance here. We accept fully the right protest. It’s very important in a democracy.”
Asked about his leadership, Martin said: “I’m always engaging with people.
“I engage with people on an ongoing basis, and am in contact with people very regularly, but the war that is happening right now has caused real pressures on people and on economies all over the world.”
Asked what learnings he had from the last week, Harris said: “I think the fact that – and I was very much aware of this – but the level of pain that people are feeling in this country is real, it is acute.
“And we can have different views than we do in terms of how best to express that, and I never think blocking critical infrastructure is a good thing to do.”
He added: “But people are really, really under pressure.”
He said of the confidence motion: “Look, opposition will do what they do – they have an important job in a democracy.
“But I would just point out that we have brought forward now a package of measures that’s larger than the package of measures that was proposed by the main opposition party (Sinn Fein).”
Since the start of Israel's and the US’s war on Iran, global fuel prices have spiked and some Irish hauliers and farmers have claimed rising costs could cause them to go out of business.
On Tuesday last week, a number of slow-moving convoys of tractors, lorries, and coaches set out from across the country – causing widespread gridlock.
ð¨ Sinn Féin's motion of no confidence in the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael government will be voted on tomorrow in the Dáil.
We encourage everyone to contact their TDs and ask them to vote no confidence in the government.
This government isn't listening. They still haven’t taken… pic.twitter.com/Eg9tpkDKFD— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) April 13, 2026
Demonstrators blockaded a number of ports, the country’s only oil refinery and Dublin city centre.
This played havoc with fuel distribution, and hundreds of forecourts ran dry of petrol and diesel.
Government ministers refused to engage with the protesters and instead held talks with established representative bodies in the transport and agricultural sectors.
As the protests continued, the army was called in and, on Saturday, gardai began clearing the blockades.
On Sunday, the Government announced a €505 million package of measures to tackle the high cost of fuel.
It comes on top of €250 million worth of measures announced almost three weeks ago.
The new measures include further reductions of duty on fuel, a delay in a carbon tax increase and support schemes for the haulage, transport, fishing and agriculture industries.
Speaking to RTÉ News on Monday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party was bringing the motion because the Government is “utterly disconnected, utterly incompetent” and “aggravated and escalated the level of protest”.
She said cuts of €100 million a month to excise duty were needed, and a cut of 25 cents a litre for diesel.
The Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, Aontú, The Green Party and Independent Ireland have said they would back the motion.
It is unclear how several independents who have supported the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael coalition government will vote.
The Government will table a counter vote of confidence in response to the Sinn Féin motion.
