Martin warns 'we're not over the worst' as winter weather may hit energy supply

Taoiseach hopes next year will be easier for households faced with soaring bills but Government cannot be definite due to war in Ukraine

Micheál Martin said a programme is in place in the event of a tightness in energy supply in the coming days. Picture: Gareth Chaney

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the cold winter weather could put a tightness on the availability of the State’s energy supply but warned “we’re not over the worst yet".

However, he said CRU and Eirgrid have taken steps working with high energy users to manage pressures on the system.

He confirmed there is a programme in place in the event of a tightness in energy supply in the coming days as Ireland braces itself for sub-zero temperatures.

Mr Martin, who was speaking to Virgin Media’s Tonight Show, said the pressures on supply should not result in any issues for households.

Mr Martin said households may not see the benefits of recent reductions in wholesale oil prices or a drop in inflation until spring next year.

He said “we’ll have to double down for next year” to get enough stocks in across Europe for the winter of 2023, adding “we’re not over the worst of the worst yet” and the focus has to remain on energy efficiency.

He said he hopes next year will be easier for households who have been experiencing soaring bills, but the Government cannot be definite on this due to the war in Ukraine.

There is a degree of uncertainty in terms of both economy and energy fears on next year. It is the big dark cloud hanging over Europe.

Mr Martin was also asked about comments made by Stephen Teap, whose wife Irene died of cervical cancer because two laboratories misread her smear tests.

Speaking after settling his High Court action on Thursday, he said his wife's blood is on the Government's hands.

He settled his case against Clinical Pathology Laboratories, MedLab Pathology, and the HSE over the 2017 death of Irene, aged 35.

Stephen Teap said, after settling his High Court action, that his wife Irene's blood is on the Government's hands. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Both labs admitted that their breaches of duty in screening and reporting previous smear tests in 2010 and 2013 which were incorrectly reported as normal, caused or contributed to her death.

Mr Martin said he fully understood where Mr Teap was coming from and described what happened to his family as “devastating". He said there was no defence for what happened with the CervicalCheck scandal and it should not have happened.

Mr Martin denied that it was a political decision to outsource the screening of smear tests and that the decision was based on price over quality, an argument put forward by Mr Teap.

“I think it was driven by the desire to get a cervical screening programme established much more quickly than otherwise would have been the case," he said.

Mr Martin also reiterated that he plans to lead Fianna Fáil into the next general election.

Speaking 10 days out from a Cabinet reshuffle in which Mr Martin will become tánaiste, he said he is satisfied that he has “given it everything as Taoiseach".

“I’ve given it everything I have in the last two and a half years of the Government.” 

He would not be drawn on what Cabinet portfolio he would take and also said it is not inevitable that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald would ever become taoiseach.