Taoiseach Micheál Martin has intimated there may be a need for further measures to help combat the rising prices of petrol and diesel.

The Fianna Fáil leader was speaking on the second day of his party’s annual think-in Tullamore after the lobby group Fuels for Ireland last week claimed diesel prices had risen to about €2 a litre in some forecourts.

Mr Martin refused to rule out a further subsidy for fuel after the Coalition last month moved to extend excise cuts – introduced in the Spring – until November amid the ongoing blockage of the Strait of Hormuz with no resolution to the US-Iran war in sight.

“We have to look at that and we are discussing that in the next two to three weeks in terms of the overall picture.

“The sense is that the new normal is where we are now in respect of fuel prices because of the war in Iran and because of the fact, the global experts are saying, that there is no immediate sense of a reduction in oil prices,” Mr Martin said to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“That’s notwithstanding if there was a breakthrough in talks between the United States and Iran and the Middle East more generally. So, we have to factor all of that that in.”

The Cork South Central TD rejected an assertion he had given in to the demands of April’s fuel protesters or that he had prioritised their demands over doing more to help people with rising household bills.

Govt will discuss carbon tax plans

He also refused to be drawn on whether the Coalition will proceed with plans to raise the carbon tax.

“We’re going to discuss it, I’m not going to pre-empt it,” he said, adding that the revenue generated from the tax helps farmers, retrofitting initiatives and schemes to tackle fuel poverty.

“The carbon tax is not as significant as the restoration of the subsidy or the deferments of subsidies would be or taking [those] way, that is far higher in terms of its impact on motorists and people,” he said.

“There is a need to look at everything in the round in terms of fuel and energy.”

Separately, the Taoiseach outlined further what he may discuss with US President Donald Trump this weekend.

He said there is a yearning for stability in the world and that he would talk to Mr Trump about the Middle East and the need for Israel to stop settlements in the West Bank and to free up Gaza.

In his 15th year as Fianna Fáil leader, Mr Martin also once again re-iterated his desire to extend his leadership despite turbulence over his leadership within his parliamentary party after last year’s presidential election and April’s fuel protests.

“I have a mandate, I was elected as Taoiseach by the Dáil and Fianna Fáil was the largest party [at the last general election] and our focus is on the issues. Yesterday [at the think-in] we had a very strong session of substance and policy,” he said.

He added: “I understand the speculation, but I have an obligation and I think the public are tired of all that speculation, they want solutions.”