Fuel supports for households and ensuring key sectors remain fiscally sustainable, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said, amid concerns about rising costs across the economy.
Speaking at a sod-turning ceremony for the Richmond Village housing development in Fairview in Dublin, Mr Martin defended the Government's intervention on fuel prices and rejected criticism of its 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 added: "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."
Mr Martin said support for agriculture and haulage had been appropriate but warned that higher fuel costs were now beginning to feed into other sectors.
"We’re already getting feedback from the construction sector that additional costs are beginning to feed in there.
"So we’re doing our best as a Government to try and alleviate pressures on families and on key sectors," he said.
Separately, the Taoiseach said he was concerned by a clerical error relating to the recording of military overflights, but rejected claims the State was facilitating the war in Iran.
Mr Martin described the incident as unusual for the Department of Foreign Affairs, which he called a "really efficient, professional department".
He said it was "a stretch by any yardstick" to suggest the Government was facilitating conflict because of overflights, adding that such a claim was "not a sustainable proposition".
Harris eyes 'progress' on income tax changes in Budget
Tánaiste Simon Harris said he wanted October's Budget to progress commitments on income tax changes.
Mr Harris told reporters in Drogheda: "I do think one of the ways you help people during a cost-of-living crisis is allow them to keep some of their own money.
"There's clear commitments around income tax, and I'm determined that we make progress on them.
"We didn't last year. There has to be a personal income tax package, in my view, in the Budget this year."
But Mr Harris warned that the world was at an "extraordinarily volatile time", as he prepared to publish the Spring Economic Statement tomorrow.
Asked how the Government's worst-case scenario for the war in Iran would impact on the Budget, he said: "The good news is the Irish economy is expected to continue to grow in all scenarios, albeit at a slower rate."
Additional reporting: PA
