Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the prices at the pump are rising and that impacts commuters, motorists and many people in business, including hauliers. As Deputies will remember, we reduced these excise rates on a temporary basis at a time when prices were over €2 a litre and thankfully they are still well below that.

It would not be possible for the Government to reopen the budget now. There would be consequences down the line if we were to reopen the budget now. We will, of course, monitor prices over the next couple of months.

See this speech in context