Mary Lou McDonald told Micheál Martin he could deliver an emergency budget.

The average household in Ireland is paying around €480 a year more for its electricity compared to the EU average, according to a report from Eurostat.

James Geoghegan mentioned the government’s package of supports running out by July when asked if there would be further protests.

More then one in 10 households cannot afford a warm home or to pay their energy bills in full, according to the ESRI.

The department has said drivers can reduce fuel costs by avoiding heavy braking and acceleration.

The Government is doing ‘diddly squat’ to support working families with energy costs, Sinn Féin has said.

The Government is working on a ‘specific round of grants for targeted businesses’ amid energy price pressures, Minister Darragh O’Brien has said.

Harris defended the Government’s support package for the sectors impacted by fuel price rises in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.

The Government is to reveal the details of support on Wednesday, two weeks after the €505 million package was announced.

Speaking before Cabinet on Tuesday, Simon Harris said it would be ‘foolish’ to rule out further measures

Payments will be issued to farmers, farm contractors and fishers to reduce the cost of green diesel from March until July.

An increase in the carbon tax will be under ‘further consideration in the Budget’, the Tánaiste has said.

Mary Lou McDonald said there are two ‘realities’ in Ireland.

Tánaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris warned there is a risk of stagflation in the Irish economy.

Simon Harris is due to publish the Annual Progress Report on Tuesday.

The Government has announced measures worth more than three-quarters-of-a-billion euro in response to the fuel crisis arising out of the war in Iran.

There have already been protests across the country over increases in fuel prices.

The Tanaiste showed the Dáil chamber a graph comparing the value of government support to other measures across Europe.

‘The Irish people don’t expect miracles, but they do expect to be listened to,’ Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea said.

Fianna Fail TDs James O’Connor, Albert Dolan, and Ryan O’Meara expressed ‘real and deep concern’

Micheál Martin fielded Leaders’ Questions and used the opportunity to criticise Sinn Féin, Labour and the Social Democrats.

Opposition TDs criticised the Government’s handling of fuel protests and their package of support measures.

Fuel protests took place in a number of locations in Northern Ireland.

Patrick O’Donovan said there were ‘lopsided’ political views and ‘skewed’ broadcasting of fuel protests and blockades last week.

Michael Healy-Rae voted against the Government, shortly after tendering his resignation as a minister of state.

Slow-moving convoys of tractors and other vehicles formed in Belfast and several other areas as part of protests against rising energy bills.

Social Democrat TD Cian O’Callaghan said ‘GI Jim O’Callaghan arrived on the scene thinking that he was Rambo’ amid protests over fuel prices.

A junior minister in the Irish Government has resigned over its handling of the fuel protests.

A motion of no confidence was also planned by Sinn Fein in response to the fuel protests last week.

The blockades strangled fuel distribution throughout the country, with hundreds of filling stations running dry.

Simon Harris was speaking after his Cabinet and party colleague said he would ask the broadcasting regulator to look at media reporting.

A protest is due to be held at Leinster House on Tuesday, to coincide with a confidence vote in the government.

The no confidence vote is to be held shortly after the Dail reconvenes after the Easter recess at 2pm on Tuesday.

Sinn Féin has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Government over its handling of fuel protests

Patrick O’Donovan questioned whether the coverage of the protests was ‘balanced or was it skewed’.

People Before Profit has said most householders have got ‘little or nothing’ from the Government’s €505 million package.

Contributing 40 per cent of the overall fuel mix in March, wind energy made up a significant proportion of renewable energy.

The €505 million in additional measures comes on top of and extends some of last month’s €250 million package in response to fuel costs

Further reductions of duties on fuel and a delay in a carbon tax increase were announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin

Several of those engaged in protests – which involved blockades of critical infrastructure and severe disruption to the motorway network that strangled fuel distribution in the country – had sought such a move.

Around 20 large vehicles and tractors remained on O’Connell Street and the nearby quays in Dublin at 8am on Sunday, with dozens of protest participants and supporters.

Gardaí also cleared the trucks and tractors blocking O'Connell Street in Dublin this morning - although the street remains closed to traffic at the moment.

The Government is to re-enter talks on Saturday aimed at defusing protests which have strangled the distribution of fuel around the country.