No plans to ration food or fuel, but expect prices to rise, warns Leo Varadkar

Repots of rationing food are "exaggerated", according to the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar. File Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Government is not expecting food shortages due to the war in Ukraine, the Tánaiste has said.

However, Leo Varadkar said that there will be higher food prices due to the crisis.

Speaking at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown today, Mr Varadkar said that there is no plan to begin rationing either food or fuel.

He said that reports today to that effect were "exaggerated".

"I don't know where that's coming from. Often these things that come out of Cabinet are a bit exaggerated: we're not anticipating food shortages. It might be the case - probably will be the case - though there might be higher food prices and perhaps some products might not be available. But food shortages are not modeled, or predicted, or expected."

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Homeowners, motorists and business owners are facing further "significant" rises in fuel costs in the coming weeks and months, a confidential Cabinet memo warned yesterday and Mr Varadkar said that any further reduction in prices would need EU input.

"I think there can be no doubt that inflation and the cost of living crisis is really affecting people, whether it's households or businesses, particularly those on low income struggling to make ends meet. It's happening because of international factors that are not under the control of the government.

"But the truth is, all we can do as a government is ease the pain and mitigate the effect of rising prices. And the underlying factors that are driving us, unfortunately, are international and are largely beyond our control.

"I think any further actions like reduction of that would have to be something that we do on a European level. We've already reduced excise considerably. And I think that has helped to mitigate the increase in the price of petrol and the price of diesel.

"But these things are factors that are beyond the control of governments so driven by international forces."