'It's a game you're at': Taoiseach accuses Sinn Féin of trying to 'engineer' more fuel protests

The Government cuts to fuel prices announced in April are set to lapse on August 1

A stand-off between gardai and protesters at Whitegate in Cork during the fuel protests in April. Micheál Martin said the Sinn Féin position had been played up for social media in a bid to create protests similar to these. Picture: Larry Cummins

The Taoiseach has accused Sinn Féin of attempting to "engineer" another round of fuel protests.

Micheál Martin was speaking during Leaders' Questions as Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty accused the Government of voting to increase the cost of fuel by passing the Finance Bill last week. 

The Government in April announced cuts, which brought the price of a litre down at the pump by 27 cents and 32 cents respectively, but those are set to lapse on August 1.

Government sources said they expect that any end to cuts will be gradual and will be set out in the coming weeks, but Mr Doherty said that prices would jump in a matter of weeks.

"In just a matter of weeks people will once again be hit with rip-off prices at the pumps if you don't act now to stop it. Diesel will shoot up to over €2 and petrol will hit something similar and it's clear that you haven't learned anything from the fuel protests or the pressure that ordinary people are under.

"Did you not see the Barnardos report released just yesterday? It told us very clearly that more than half of parents are worried that they do not have enough money to put fuel in the car. Real people, real families, real pressure."

In response, Mr Martin said the Government was keeping an eye on the situation, particularly as oil costs have come down in the wake of a tentative peace deal between the US and Iran.

Mr Martin told Mr Doherty he was "all about politics and not about policy".

"You have played politics last week with this, and you're playing politics this week with it, and so cleverly put in a few amendments last week to get voted down, and then you turn it around and say the government are voting for increases. It's a game you're at."

Mr Doherty said that his amendments were substantive and rejected the idea it was "a game".

"Last week I put forward an amendment here that would see those increases not taking effect. You accuse me of games. This has nothing to do with games, Taoiseach. How dare you! 

Taoiseach Micheal Martin: 'I've seen the Facebook pages, I've seen it all. Government makes decision, there's going to be a protest. That's the game, and that's the political agenda.'

"When I give voice to the concerns of people right across the state that tell me that the idea that this government is putting up the price of petrol and diesel, which you voted for last week, by 32 cents, that's not a game for them."

Mr Martin, however, said the Sinn Féin position had been played up for social media in a bid to create protests similar to those which blockaded parts of the country in April. 

Mr Martin said that the cuts will be kept "under review".

"It makes sense that you watch the market, of course, it does. Otherwise, you're just filling the pockets of the oil companies who'll benefit from the decline. This is the taxpayers' money we're talking about here. 

"We have some distance to go before the end of July. You put the amendments down last week, so you could then make the allegation that we are increasing prices, so you could then engineer protests. That's what's going on. That is what's going on.

"I've seen the Facebook pages, I've seen it all. Government makes decision, there's going to be a protest. That's the game, and that's the political agenda. That's the political agenda."

• Paul Hosford is deputy political editor for the Irish Examiner