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A showdown over carbon taxes has been averted at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting, despite competing motions being put down on whether increases to the tax should go ahead next month.
A motion calling for a delay in the rise to the carbon tax, as well as other taxes due to cost of living pressures, had been put down by Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness.
A countermotion was proposed by Senator Malcolm Byrne and TDs Paul McAuliffe and Chris O’Sullivan but they were taken as part of a general debate, without being voted on.
Mr Byrne said the Taoiseach should give a state of the nation address on the current challenges.
The meeting heard that the carbon tax had been poorly communicated and understanding of what it was for was low.
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien spoke in favour of the tax, as did Minister of State Niall Collins and Senator Timmy Dooley.
Mr O’Brien told the meeting that the climate crisis was real and “measures to tackle it cannot be paused.” He claimed Opposition party Sinn Féin had “zero credibility” on the issue.
Mr Collins told the meeting that people who opposed the tax “don’t know or understand” that it was ringfenced for the fuel allowance, home retrofitting schemes and agri environment schemes - and said that when this was explained clearly, there was rarely a counter argument.
Mr Dooley made similar points, arguing as well that the State should be more ambitious about offshore wind as a route to remove European dependence on Russian oil and gas, which he told the meeting was “funding the killing of Ukrainian men, women and children”.
Mr McGuinness is said to have moderated his position at the meeting, saying he wanted an explanation on a plan for the short and long term - but that he was not saying no to a carbon tax in principle.
The meeting discussed how to manage the rising costs of living in a wartime economy, while also addressing climate change. There was an acknowledgement at the meeting, sources said, that communication had been weak around explaining some of the schemes funded by the carbon tax.
One source present at the meeting said Taoiseach Micheál Martin had wanted to avoid a split and instead sought consensus on the issue. Senator Pat Casey and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath also spoke in favour of the tax.
Mr Martin said while employment had surpassed targets, there were nonetheless “pressures on people”. He reiterated statements made on Tuesday that the Government would offset the impact of rises in the carbon tax so that people were not worse off.
With more than 20,000 Ukrainians now having arrived into the country, Mr Martin told the meeting that Ireland will continue to push for the strongest sanctions possible at EU level, while working on accommodation and supports at home.
More than 2,000 of the Ukrainians are children now in primary schools, with 1,800 in secondary schools, he said.
The meeting also decided Fianna Fáil would send TDs and Senators to Northern Ireland to support SDLP candidates in Stormont elections next month, assisting with canvassing.
The two parties struck a cooperation agreement in 2019, and SDLP members reportedly campaigned for Fianna Fáil candidates in the 2020 General Election.
However, the pact has not been well-received in some quarters. Last week, Ógra Fianna Fáil passed a motion calling for the alliance to be reviewed at the next Fianna Fáil ard fheis.
Dublin North West TD Paul McAuliffe will coordinate the effort to support SDLP candidates.