McDonald and Bacik criticise Taoiseach’s absence from Dail

Mary Lou McDonald and Ivana Bacik have criticised Taoiseach Micheal Martin for not appearing to take questions from the opposition in the Dail on Tuesday.

Sinn Fein leader Ms McDonald asked “where is the Taoiseach?” before raising how people were struggling with hikes to their energy bills.

Mr Martin attended the G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa from Friday until the closing session of the summit on Sunday.

He then attended the EU-African Union summit in Angola on Monday.

“Ca bhfuil an Taoiseach?” Ms McDonald said at the opening of Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday.

“I understand the Taoiseach is back in the country. He should be here taking questions,” she said.

Labour leader Ms Bacik said the Taoiseach was absent and it was a “nice surprise” to see Transport and Energy Minister Darragh O’Brien stand in for him.

Mr O’Brien said the Taoiseach was on government business and that Ms McDonald herself had been in the US “probably fundraising”.

He said: “He was at the G20 summit as well, should he not go to that as head of the Irish government?

“Should he not go to the EU-African summit?

“I know you’re just back from New York as well,” he said to Ms McDonald, who appeared to point to the seat she was sitting on and say “I am here”.

Ms Bacik said: “On the Taoiseach’s lack of presence here, of course he must represent the country abroad, but we had understood he would be here today and it is a common courtesy that we would be notified in advance of Leaders’ Questions when he isn’t taking them.”

Both Ms McDonald and Ms Bacik urged the Government to take action against hikes in energy and grocery costs.

Ms McDonald said heating oil had shot up 80 euro in a month and the average price for a fill of oil was 980 euro.

She said: “This unaffordable cost of home heating oil has been driven up by your decisions, 220 euros of the cost of a fill of oil is already carbon tax and your planned increases will add a further 150 euros in the time ahead.

“Has to be asked – how on earth do you think people can afford that?”

She raised the case of a family who were “rationing their heat” because the oil fill they have needs to last them until Christmas and the New Year.

She said the decision to cancel energy credits was “terrible” and that people “live in dread” of receiving the next heating bill.

She said: “Do you know how humiliating it is for anybody to have to go to family members to borrow consistently, to pay their household bills?

“Do you know how demoralising it is for working people to go out Monday to Friday, work hard, do their best, and still they can’t keep their children warm?

“Do you know how unacceptable, in fact, how immoral it is in a wealthy society under a government that boasts billions in surpluses to leave people so stranded, so desperate in these circumstances.

“And you stand here today, delusional, delusional, as though you live in another place and in another reality.”

Mr O’Brien said the fuel allowance has been increased and expanded, meaning 460,000 households can qualify for it and the carbon tax that relates to home heating oil has been deferred to May 2026.

He accused the party of “flip-flopping” on the north south inter-connector, which he said would “deliver resilience” for Ireland’s energy grid.

“I’ve met your ministers in the north of Ireland who are for the project, your deputies in the south are opposed to it. That’s a permanent measure that will deliver affordability.”

Mr O’Brien said: “What I can say to families out there is the Government and the state will work with them right the way through this winter to bring about permanent affordability measures.”

Ms Bacik said the Government had “offered nothing” to help reduce household costs or to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

She said ministers had ignored Labour’s call for supermarket giants to be forced to publish their profits.

“It’s three-and-a-half years since Russia’s horrific onslaught on Ukraine, but now in 2025 energy providers are hiding behind what is a geopolitical tragedy to justify price hikes that can’t be explained by supply costs.

“Our energy bills are still markedly higher and the driver of those prices is not war, it is corporate greed, minister.”

Mr O’Brien said Ireland was “within grasp of actually becoming energy sovereign” in the next 10 years.

“That will be critical to reduce our dependence on fossil and particularly imported fossil, where we are at the vagaries of the market.”

Before Leaders’ Questions, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy confirmed she had received a letter of resignation from Paschal Donohoe on November 21, and so his resignation as Dublin Central TD took effect from receipt of the letter.