Harris said this will “help families who have been affected by events that are taking place thousands of miles away”.

Harris adds: “When circumstances change, responsible government must be capable of changing wisdom.”

However, Harris says that “no government can completely insulate their country from a global energy shock”.

He adds that “good climate policy is also good economic policy” and remarks that “our dependence on imported fuels is not only an environmental vulnerability, it is a real economic vulnerability.”

The financial resolution to defer excise increases on petrol and diesel has been passed by the Dáil and Tánaiste Simon Harris is now addressing the House.

He says the decision taken this week “provides certainty and breathing space”.

Harris adds that the estimated cost is €407 million, “a significant intervention”.

Government chief whip Mary Butler said “every single member in this House agreed to the recess, there wasn’t one person who objected to it”.

She added: “Why we are here today is to ensure that excise increases on petrol and diesel do not go ahead next week or in October.

“This is a single financial resolution before the House today, and the time allocated is exactly the same one-hour debate that we’ve had for four previous financial resolutions in March and April.

“We are not here today to announce a budget. That will happen on 6 October.

“The public out there are awaiting the certainty that filling up at the pumps won’t be increasing because of excise increases, and we need to get on with providing that certainty.”

Some more information here on what opposition parties said before breaking to vote.

They were given 30 seconds to speak. 

Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said the hour-long debate was “simply unacceptable” while Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats said the government has shown “contempt and disdain by only giving the absolute bare minimum of 60 minutes for this to be discussed and scrutinised”.

People Before Profit’s Richard Boy Barrett said: “You want to curtail the debate so we don’t actually get to discuss the cost-of-living crisis that is affecting hundreds of thousands of working people and families in this country. It’s pathetic.”

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins added that the “one hour for debate is very unfair to the people that can’t pay their energy bills, can’t pay their fuel”.

He added: “And to find out today that part of this debate is now going to kick out the farmers rebate for farming contractors, that’s not going to be tolerated, it could lead to strikes in this country.”

And mere minutes after being recalled, TDs are now given 10 minutes to vote on the financial resolution. 

Ceann Comhairle is now recalling the Dáil.

Opposition TDs are now voicing upset that only an hour has been given over to the Dáil recall.

Richard Boyd Barrett labels it a “disgrace” and others voices concern that no amendments can be tabled.

Mary Butler is now saying that no opposition party opposed to the recall and said that this is the same time that has been allocated to previous financial resolutions. 

Richard Boyd Barrett has said the government has “failed to address the cost and inflation crisis”.

“We’ve had a plan to increase deferred, another plan to increase deferred, we may well very likely have another plan to increase and defer in November and then again in December.”

He called for price controls on petrol, diesel and electricity and food items to address the cost of living crisis, which he said arising from Trump’s and Israel’s war with Iran. 

The government are afraid of public protest, says Richard Boyd Barrett who says another deferral by government could be likely in November. pic.twitter.com/aQXuKEzukM

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) August 28, 2026

When asked by reporters if the government should end the summer recess and bring TDs back to the Dáil early, Cian O’Callaghan remarked: “There’s a lot of things that need to be discussed.

“People are really feeling the crisis in terms of cost of living.

“At an absolute bare minimum, they should have brought the Dáil back for proper scrutiny of proposals and for the Taoiseach to answer questions.

“We don’t see any reason – in terms of range of issues that the country’s facing – why the government couldn’t be having the Dáil back earlier.”

More from Christina Finn at Leinster House.

The Social Democrats are calling for a targeted tax credit for those earning under €70,000.

They also say that a one hour debate today is not acceptable.

Christina Finn / The Journal Christina Finn / The Journal / The Journal

Independent Ireland’s Richard O’Donoghue remarked that the “working person has been penalised and now they’ve been penalised on the increased cost of fuel”.

“The only one that is in trouble in this country at the moment is people that work, and they’re the only ones that have been penalised.”

Our political editor Christina Finn is at Leinster House.

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins has been speaking to reporters.

He said the Dáil recall is “to a point meaningless” and has accused the government of “guillotining” the discussion down to one hour.

TD Michael Collins says there should be a full debate on fuel costs and that coming back to the Dail for one hour is meaningless. Carbon tax should also be frozen, he says. pic.twitter.com/lIIXdzk4mz

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) August 28, 2026

Collins said he has tabled an amendment but added: “We’re not going to be allowed to debate our amendment today.

“It looks like they’re going straight into a vote, down the road at 1.15pm and back on holidays. 

“The people of Ireland are stretched and tired.”

He called for the cuts to be continued “indefinitely” and for the carbon tax to be frozen.

Sinn Féin has said it will not support the plan as it involves increases to the excise rates kicking in this year. The party will propose its own amendment to delay the reversal of supports further.

The Labour Party and the Social Democrats said it will support the government’s plan.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín meanwhile accused the government of “making it up as it goes along” on fuel tax hikes.

“The excise hikes are wrong and should be scrapped. But instead we get ever-changing deadlines and flailing around.”

Speaking on Newstalk on Thursday, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien said it is correct that the government step in as fuel prices remain elevated.

He said the deferment will cost about €430 million.

He added that any further changes to excise will be part of an annual outlook that will be discussed as part of budget discussions.

O’Brien also confirmed that the carbon tax increase, which was deferred, and is due to kick-in in October, will also be considered as part of the budget discussions.

File image of Darragh O'Brien Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The session to extend the excise cuts will be brief.

A one-hour session, kicking off as 12pm, is all that is needed.

Politicians will then return to their summer holidays, before returning to Leinster House on 16 September for the autumn session.

The cuts were introduced in response to protests against high fuel prices in April that included the blockading of an oil refinery in Cork.

Following the protests, the government increased temporary fuel excise cuts to 32c on a litre of diesel and 27c for petrol. The cuts came as part of a wider fuel support package of €750 million.

The excuse cuts were extended in June, and will now be extended beyond September.

Fuel protestors on Dublin's O'Connell Street in April Alamy Alamy