Irish minister quits over govt response to fuel demos
An Irish minister has resigned in protest at the government’s response to last week’s wave of public demonstrations against rising fuel prices and said he would join the opposition in calling for a vote of no confidence in the coalition.
The government is still expected to survive a no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition after protesters blocked oil infrastructure, leaving nearly a third of Ireland’s petrol stations without fuel.
The outage ended on Monday.
But Michael Healy-Rae’s resignation during the debate was an unexpected blow to the government.
Healy-Rae is one of several independent MPs whose support the centre-right-led coalition is counting on for a majority.
Healy-Rae told parliament: “The leader of the country should have listened and as I believe this government has failed the Irish people, I will be giving a vote of no confidence in the leader of the country and tendering my resignation as Minister of State from now on.”
He added that voters in rural Kerry did not want to support him or any Healy-Rae government.
This showed that his brother and fellow independent MP Danny would also withdraw his support, further reducing the government’s majority.
In a bid to ease discontent, the government announced on Sunday a 500 million euro (A$821 million) spending increase and tax cuts to soften the impact on consumers and businesses.
This is on top of the €250 million package introduced three weeks ago.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the government was taking action to end the “devastating blockade” and the tax cuts they are proposing are the biggest in Europe to deal with fuel prices that have led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for world oil, following the US-Israeli war against Iran.
“The basic claim that we are doing nothing and falling behind other countries is simply not true,” Martin said.
Martin led a motion to support his coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties, as well as some independents, ahead of a confidence vote by the largest opposition party, Sinn Fein.
If Martin’s motion is accepted, the no-confidence motion will become moot.
But if it fails, it will create a vote of no confidence, forcing his government to resign, causing parliament to elect a new prime minister or triggering a general election.
Protests in Ireland began last Tuesday, when slow-moving convoys blocked roads.
It grew as news spread on social media as truckers, farmers, taxi and bus operators blocked key infrastructure and a main street in the capital Dublin.
Demonstrators have called for price caps or tax breaks to ease rising fuel costs, which they say will put people out of work.
Martin said the government could learn from the protests but defended the police and army response to clear barricades at the country’s only oil refinery at Whitegate in County Cork and several warehouses.
with AP
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