People are feeling the sting in their pockets. As I passed filling stations in Ballon and Tinryland on my way to work this morning, I saw diesel well in excess of €2 per litre, which I had never seen before. It is clear to me that this matter affects all households and it requires an appropriate, well-thought-out and fair response, not a knee-jerk reaction. This war is not of our making and it is happening many thousands of kilometres away from us, but we are all feeling its effects, which indicates to all of us how small this world of ours is becoming and how interdependent global economies are. While the focus this evening is on fuel and energy costs, let us make no mistake that without an end to this war, there is worse to come for all of us. I ask the Government to please keep a firm focus on seeking a de-escalation of this war through the peaceful means of dialogue and diplomacy. I ask it to continue to act responsibly. We need to look at and plan for solutions rather than focus solely on calling out the problem in outrage. We can all do outrage, but it is outcomes that make a tangible difference to people's lives. We need an appropriate intervention and I am happier now than I was this morning, having heard the Taoiseach confirm that appropriate measures to assist households will be finalised in the next Cabinet meeting early next week. I am asking on behalf of the 14,000 people across Carlow and Kilkenny who voted for me that fairness be placed at the centre of this response. Will the Minister please ensure that the people who get up to go to work every day are supported in any measure invoked by the Government next week? I am also asking the Government, for now, not to remove or reduce carbon taxes because they are ring-fenced to ensure we can extend the fuel allowance to the most vulnerable and ensure that more Irish homes are retrofitted, thereby reducing the long-term cost of running our homes. As I said at the start of my contribution-----

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-----we live in an increasingly volatile and interdependent world, so can we please keep all measures open to review for as long as the conflict in the Gulf continues?

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