Oil crisis “like 2022 all over again,” says Mitchell

Sinn Féin TD Denise Mitchell has said that the government must act to bring oil prices under control.

The ongoing Iran War has caused the greatest shock to the oil system since the 1970s, with as much as 20% of the world’s oil supply unable to leave ports in the Middle East.

The aftershocks of the war, which began on February 28, were discussed in the Dáil prior to the St. Patrick’s Day break and upon government TDs returning from foreign trips, it has become clear that the crisis isn’t going away anytime soon.

Dublin Bay North TD Denise Mitchell said “this feels like 2022 all over again; honestly, workers and families just cannot seem to catch a break when it comes to this cost-of-living crisis.”

“We have seen fuel prices surge over the past two weeks and Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have sat on their hands and twiddled their fingers here for two weeks. Then, while people have been worrying and going through massive stress, the government parties come into the chamber and say to people they are going to do something for them but they have to wait until the next Cabinet meeting.”

“The thing is, people cannot wait; the Tánaiste needs to use his powers now,” Mitchell said.

Tánaiste Simon Harris said that the next Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (March 24) will reveal how exactly the government will tackle the crisis, and what they are planning to do for Irish households.

The government’s “wait-and-see” approach has been defended by government TDs, saying that the war is a volatile situation which makes planning difficult.

The Tánaiste said, “considering the level of significant international volatility, I strongly believe that any intervention should, in the first instance, be for a short period of time.”

“This is to fulfil two objectives. First, to enable the assistance to be applied quickly. Second, to provide the government with the time and the space to adapt our response should this fast-moving and evolving situation require it.”

“I do not believe there is anyone on any side of this House who can speak with great certainty about where the conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf region will go, and indeed the true scale of the medium-term economic consequences of an enduring conflict. The volatility is that acute.”

To Mitchell, however, she said that the government’s approach is not proactive enough.

“Sometimes it really does feel like Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are living on another planet. People are struggling with their bills now. They need the government to do something now to help them alleviate this cost, not to keep dithering and running around like it usually does.”

“Elderly citizens cannot afford to heat their homes. We have commuters paying an arm and a leg to get to work and all along the government is raking in huge taxes on these fuels. It is good to hear the Tánaiste now say he is going to do something, but please do it now because people cannot wait any longer,” she said.