Taoiseach Micheál Martin: 'No one is quite certain as to when or where this will end or what’s going to unfold over the next number of weeks.' Photograph: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via GettyThe Government will need to keep some “firepower” in reserve so the State can intervene to shield people from the worst effects of any longer-term jump in fuel and energy costs this winter, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. The energy crisis created by the Iran war was probably “more severe” than the economically damaging oil shocks of the 1970s, he said. While ruling out a price cap on fuel, Martin said advice that might be issued to the public about conserving energy was being kept under review. “Shannon [Airport] is not used as a base for the Middle East war,” Martin said when asked on Tuesday.

Source: The Irish Times April 01, 2026 08:20 UTC