Offaly TD confirms intention to vote 'no confidence' in Government
An Offaly TD has confirmed their intention to support a vote of no confidence in the current government, after an unprecedented and tumultuous week of nationwide fuel protests.
Independent TD Carol Nolan said that in her ten years as a TD she had never witnessed such a spontaneous outburst of public anger, frustration and profound sadness from ordinary people and workers trying to keep their homes and livelihoods afloat.
She attended a number of the protests at locations in Tullamore and Birr, including at the Cappincur roundabout on the Tullamore bypass in recent days.
“Something has finally snapped among the ordinary people of Ireland. The people that get up early, work every hour God gives them, and get next to nothing in return except ever tightening margins, and a taxation regime that treats them like cash-cows rather than people just trying to earn a decent living,” said Deputy Nolan.
overly focused on the international scene that they have lost sight of the real pain that our own people are in at the national level.”
Nolan continued that she feels the government have become "overly focused on the international scene" and have "lost sight" of the struggles faced by their own people.
“Billions are being spent annually fulfilling ‘international obligations’ around asylum. Almost another billion was committed to overseas development in Budget 2026, and despite being net contributors to the EU budget since 2013, farmers are still getting shafted with the likes of Mercosur. Not to mention the almost €400 million Government has given directly to Ukraine."
Deputy Nolan said people are "imply sick and tired of being taken for fools" and now the "centre of power is being returned to the people".
"[Government] want our own people to almost drop down in awe at [their] largesse merely because it drops the price of fuel by a couple of cents, and it finally concedes on the ridiculous carbon tax increase.
"[People] are sick of being talked down to as Government attempts to gaslight them on a daily basis. Government pushed people to the edge, and now people are pushing back. What happened last week has changed everything."