Opposition parties have called for the Dáil to be recalled amid the ongoing fuel crisis caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Diesel and petrol prices have soared over the past month with recent Government measures on excise duties leading some subsequent price decreases at the pump.
However, prices have surged to around €2.08 per litre for diesel and roughly €1.85 per litre for petrol, with higher prices in some places.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called on the Government to "stop dithering" and recall the Dáil to address the crisis.
Watch: 'Immediate intervention' needed to deal with fuel crisis - McDonald
Speaking to RTÉ News at an Easter Rising commemoration event in Kildare Village, Mr McDonald said the coalition has only introduced "half measures" to help people with the situation.
Describing the existing Government supports as "no adequate response", she said her party's whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has written to the Ceann Comhairle seeking the early recall of the Dáil to discuss further supports.
Asked about reports today that a new Government public information plan to help people with rising energy costs may include suggestions to car pool and wash their clothes at night, Ms McDonald said "all the Government has done is dither" and that they need to "stop dithering" and help those affected with further support.
Independent Ireland has also called for the Dáil to be recalled.
Its Agriculture Spokesperson Michael Fitzmaurice said: "Ten days ago, I outlined the key issues we would face if the Government did not act.
"We are now seeing that crisis escalate in real time. We must act urgently. That is why the Dáil must be recalled immediately."
He also said the situation has worsened significantly in recent days as the prices of green diesel "reaching €1.70 per litre" and "petrol and diesel prices are rising back towards pre-excise cut levels".
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said the Government will not be able to insulate the public from every consequence of the war but added that there is currently no basis for the country to be alarmed about a long-term fuel crisis.
The minister said it is a constantly changing scenario and that nobody knows what the situation will be by the end of this month.
"I don't want to alarm the Irish public, and I don't think the Government wishes to alarm the Irish public.
Watch: Govt can't protect against all effects of war - O’Callaghan
"We have responded to the energy crisis by introducing very significant measures earlier last week, which have ensured that there will be supports for people in terms of cutting excise duties, extending the fuel allowance and other provisions that were made," Mr O'Callaghan said.
"So as Government indicated at the time, we will keep that constantly under review, or we're not in a position yet where we're going to start sounding alarmist to people.
"We need to recognise that this is a constantly changing scenario.
"Nobody knows really what the energy situation going to be at the end of April, but there's certainly no basis, I think, for the country to be alarmed at this stage," he said.
"We're introducing measures that are protecting consumers," Mr O'Callaghan said, "but I think it's also important to point out that no matter what we do, we won't be able to insulate the public from every consequence of the war".
"When you look at the response of the Irish Government, I think it's probably been the most generous response of any EU country to date, in terms of the public."
Homeowners encouraged to retrofit homes, SF says ordinary people 'locked out' of retrofitting
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the SEAI has called on homeowners to consider retrofitting to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat homes amid rising costs.
William Walsh said there has been a significant increase in the cost of fossil fuels due to the Middle East crisis, especially oil and gas.
Speaking to Claire Brock on RTÉ's Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra, Mr Walsh said: "Ireland is particularly exposed in the context that 80% of our energy needs are met by oil and gas."
He stressed that one area where homeowners can be helped is in retrofitting, which he said reduces the amount of energy homeowners use.
"Thereby, it shields them from the increases in the cost of energy," he said.
Mr Walsh said the SEAI has seen a rise in grant applications due to increasing the grant rates, adding that as a result, it has been "hard to decouple" it from the effects of the war in the Middle East.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The National Retrofit Plan sets out how the Government will deliver on the Climate Action Plan targets of retrofitting the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a BER of B2/cost-optimal and installing 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by the end of 2030.
"We are doing well in a number of areas and we are meeting our targets in a number of areas but there is no doubt about it, stretching targets to 2030 are a challenge, Mr Walsh said.
"They require significant focus by organisations like SEAI and by Government to encourage citizens to continue uptake," he said.
He said the B2 targets set in 2019 did not account for other upgraded rates, such as moving from a G rated home to a D.
He described this as a "significant upgrade".
Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell, however, said there is a fundamental failure and fundamental flaw with the Government's approach when it comes to retrofitting, adding that most ordinary people are locked out of this.
"At the end of the day, this is Government's approach when it comes to cost-of-living crisis, when it comes to energy poverty," she said on RTÉ’s Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra.
She said most people are worrying about if they can put oil in their tank.
"They don't have €16,000 to €40,000 to fork out to try and access this type of retrofitting… for the Government to live in a world to think that is acceptable and that is the way things can be done. They need to wake up to the reality of the situation," she said.
Ms Farrell said Sinn Féin has proposed a tiered target-based scheme aimed at low- and middle-income households.
She said if most people are locked out of retrofitting, there is "no hope" at all in meeting retrofitting targets.
Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said the work of the SEAI is crucial and that retrofitting is a big part of Ireland's response to the energy crisis.
"This Government fails to grasp inequality in our society," she said.
"As a result, the measures are not tailored to the people who most need them," Ms Gibney said.
She said people have to go "so far out of pocket" to get their house retrofitted, adding that while there are smaller grants to get windows or doors in isolation, "even that amount is not available to many people".
