Risk of fuel and food being rationed 'low' but not impossible, says Ryan

“Anything is possible, but the risk is low,” he said. “We tend to buy about a month ahead. We have to see. No one knows when Russian supplies are reduced, there are risks to supply but those risks are low,” Mr Ryan told the Irish Examiner.

Announcing the move, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said that this measure will reduce the cost of 60-litre tank of petrol by €12 and a 60-litre tank of diesel by €9.

Mr Donohoe said that Government cannot protect citizens and businesses from the entire impact of inflation.

He said the cut represented a one-third reduction in the excise rates on fuel and no matter what he proposed, the opposition particularly Sinn Féin would argue it is not enough.

Mr Donohoe said that the country is experiencing the consequences of war and now is not the time to be playing party politics.

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath said the costs of taking in large numbers of people from Ukraine will be “very significant”.

While he said he was not in a position to give a definitive estimate, he did say the cost will likely be in the “hundreds of millions”.

“The costs will be significant, but that will depend on how many people actually arrive here. But it is fair to say it will be in the hundreds of millions of Euro over the coming months,” he said.

Mr McGrath said the costs of sheltering those who arrive from Ukraine will be met from existing resources but some individual departments could be allocated additional funds to meet the demands.

Despite the costs, he said this is something the government must do, as the Irish people expect them to be generous in its response.

Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan said that the best way for Europe to reduce its dependence on Russia, is to switch to renewable energy sources.

He advised that among the measures the public can do is to drive slower as it will require less fuel and will help ease pressure on supplies.

He said while the Cabinet did discuss the prospect of rationing, he said such an eventuality is “low”.

An incorporeal Cabinet meeting was held this morning to sign off on the measures, which were put forward by Mr Donohoe.

Sinn Féin had called for measures that would result in a 25 cent cut per litre of diesel and petrol.

Cut in fuel excise

The Cabinet has agreed to cut excise duty by 20 cent per litre on petrol and 15 cent per litre on diesel at an emergency meeting this morning.

A resolution will be brought forward to the Dáil today to be voted on, to allow the cuts to take effect from midnight tonight.

A 2 cent cut per litre of Green diesel has also been agreed.

The changes will remain in place until August 31 at least and it is believed the measure will cost €320 million.

Ministers Paschal Donohoe and Eamon Ryan will hold a press conference this morning to formally announce the measure.

It follows US President Joe Biden's announcement of a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, a move he acknowledged would drive up energy prices.

At Cabinet, ministers were told of the potential impact of the conflict on Ireland.

Sources have told the Irish Examiner that ministers were told of all possible eventualities including the possible pressures on food supplies and raw materials.

Such shortages could have a “significant and immediate” impact on our ability to maintain normal supplies with a threat to the economy and jobs.

Ministers were also told that economic growth could be impacted due to higher prices and costs, threatening jobs and the exchequer.

The update for senior ministers described how the threat to food production and consumer prices is severe.

This is because food processing is highly dependent on gas supplies.

Such is the fear about supplies to fuel that ministers were told that Ireland is now seeking to source coal for the Moneypoint plant from Columbia.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has said an additional national effort will be required in the coming months to respond to the Ukraine crisis.

He said the rising cost of fuel, food and other goods as a result of the "abominable invasion of Ukraine by President Putin" will continue to be closely monitored by the Government.

He said Russia and Ukraine together makeup about 30% of internationally traded and exported grains and about 20% of fertilizer used by Irish farmers comes from Russia, so this would have a direct impact on prices.

So we have been expecting supply challenges over the course of the next number of months and year.

"Food security is obviously going to be really important," he said adding that "an additional National effort " will be required.

He said: "Obviously, the government are really conscious of the price pressures that have been on the public as a result of fuel increasing over the last number of weeks, in particular.

"And that's something we've been closely monitoring and considering over the last few days," he said.

"Suffice to say that the government is very much conscious of the pressure that consumers have been under and the ordinary people in ordinary families have been under at something we want to address and support them through."

Temporary crisis measures

The Government is also set to reveal details of how it plans to deal with a surge in refugees from Ukraine over the coming days and weeks. 

As part of the temporary crisis measures, hotel rooms, modular homes, defence forces accommodation, as well as offers of housing from the public, will be used to enable the country to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians. 

Ministers were told that more than 2,200 people have arrived in Ireland already, 40% of whom are children. Two-thirds of those who have arrived are currently staying with family members already here in Ireland, with 640 people in hotels.

Today, Ministers Heather Humphreys, Helen McEntee and Roderic O’Gorman will formally open a fast track processing centre for arriving Ukraine nationals at Dublin Airport.

This facility will allow those arriving to receive a PPS number, medical card and all other associated benefits before leaving the airport.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned there is likely to be a “significant impact on Ireland” from the Russian invasion.

Ministers heard that a fourth round of EU sanctions is being prepared to further punish Russia.

There is no question but that the war on Ukraine is going to increase further and has increased the escalation of fuel prices at the petrol pump, household costs and so on. 

"The Government is acutely aware of this issue,” the Taoiseach said.

As a result of the proposed ban on Russian fuel, the Government is looking to source coal from Colombia.

The war in Ukraine has sparked Europe's worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, with UN officials reporting that two million people have now fled.

Moscow's forces have laid siege to Ukrainian cities and cut off food, water, heat and medicine in a growing humanitarian disaster, but for days, attempts to create corridors to safely evacuate civilians have stumbled amid continuing fighting and objections to the proposed routes.

Buses emblazoned with Red Cross symbols carried water, medicine and food towards the encircled southern port of Mariupol yesterday, scene of some of the worst desperation.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Mariupol residents were facing atrocious conditions. 

“The bottom line today is that this situation is really apocalyptic for people,” Red Cross spokesperson Ewan Watson said.

Residents have been getting water from streams or by melting snow.

Corpses lay in the streets and authorities planned to start digging mass graves.

With the electricity out, many people are relying on car radios for information, picking up news from stations broadcast from areas controlled by Russian forces or Russian-backed separatists.

In a video address from an undisclosed location, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a child had died of dehydration in Mariupol, another sign of the city's desperation.