Overview
- The coalition won the Dáil confidence vote 92–78 on Tuesday, keeping Micheál Martin’s government in place after days of turmoil.
- Junior minister Michael Healy-Rae resigned during the debate and voted against the coalition, stripping the government of a key independent ally.
- Protesters had blocked ports, fuel depots, and the Whitegate oil refinery, which left roughly a third of petrol stations without fuel before Gardaí, with Army support, cleared sites over the weekend.
- The Cabinet approved a €505 million relief plan that cuts excise on petrol, diesel, and green diesel and sends direct payments to hauliers, bus operators, farmers, and fisheries, on top of €250 million announced earlier.
- Opposition parties said the government reacted too slowly as global price shocks tied to conflict in the Middle East drove up diesel and petrol costs, and the loss of a minister now tightens the coalition’s margin for passing emergency supports.