Government is out of touch, out time and out of confidence

Independent TD for Offaly Carol Nolan has confirmed that she will be voting no confidence in the Government this week as the Dáil gears up to return from the Easter recess following an unprecedented and tumultuous week of nationwide fuel protests.

Deputy Nolan who attended a number of the protests at locations in Tullamore and Birr, including at the Cappincur roundabout on the Tullamore by-pass, said that in her ten years as a TD she had never witnessed such a spontaneous outburst of public anger, frustration and profound sadness from ordinary people and workers trying to keep their homes and livelihoods afloat:

“Something has finally snapped among the ordinary people of Ireland. The people that get up early, work every hour God gives them and get next to nothing in return except ever tightening margins and a taxation regime that treats them like cash-cows rather than people just trying to earn a decent living.” said Deputy Nolan.

“My own clear sense from talking to people, and this is a view I have long held, is that this Government, in line with previous Governments, have become so overly focused on the international scene that they have lost sight of the real pain that our own people are in at the national level.”

“The government parties have had their ears off the ground for years and that is why they could not hear the stampede of frustration that was building up.”

“Billions are being spent annually fulfilling ‘international obligations’ around asylum. Almost another billion was committed to overseas development in Budget 2026 and despite being net contributors to the EU budget since 2013, farmers are still getting shafted with the likes of Mercosur. Not to mention the almost €400 million Government has given directly to Ukraine. The list goes on and on. And now they want our own people to almost drop down in awe at Governments largesse merely because it drops the price of fuel by a couple of cents, and it finally concedes on the ridiculous carbon tax increase.”

“The reality is this; people are simply sick and tired of being taken for fools. They are sick of being lectured at by an elite clique. They are sick of being talked down to as Government attempts to gaslight them on a daily basis.”

“Government pushed people to the edge and now people are pushing back, and Government is crying foul. Well, they better get used to it, because what happened last week has changed everything. The centre of power is being returned to the people and away from those who see their right to govern as some kind of divine right,” concluded Deputy Nolan.

ENDS