We, the undersigned citizens of Ireland, formally call on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to resign from office with immediate effect. This petition is not simply about fuel prices; it is about a government that has lost the consent of the governed.

I. THE FUEL CRISIS AND MILITARY DEPLOYMENT: Thousands of Irish citizens—farmers, hauliers, tradespeople, and families—are being crushed by spiralling fuel costs: petrol is up 15%, diesel nearly 30%, and home heating oil almost 70% since February 2026. When the people exercised their democratic right to protest, the Government labeled them "saboteurs," abandoned dialogue, and deployed the Defence Forces to forcibly remove their vehicles.

The justification that protests prevent medical appointments rings hollow from a government that previously canceled appointments by decree and restricted fundamental freedoms for almost two years during the Covid period. The sympathy now claimed for vulnerable citizens was absent when it suited the State to exercise total control. The Irish people remember. 

II. TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION: The working people of Ireland are taxed heavily while watching public funds directed toward purposes for which they never voted. State funding to NGOs has reached an estimated €11 billion annually. Critically, the independent monitoring body, Benefacts, was defunded by the Government in 2021 and never replaced. This leaves the public with no systematic way to audit these expenditures, creating a circular funding model where the State funds NGOs to advocate for State policies.

III. FOREIGN SPENDING AND THE IPAS SYSTEM: In 2025 alone, Ireland committed over €200 million in direct support to Ukraine, with total related contributions exceeding €500 million. Simultaneously, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cost the State over €1.2 billion in 2025—a 19% increase despite a reported fall in new applications. When accommodation for Ukrainian refugees is included, the combined total presented to the Public Accounts Committee was €2.1 billion for 2024.

With over 90% of IPAS accommodation provided commercially at an average cost of €84 per person per night, Ireland remains one of the most expensive OECD nations for refugee costs. Without a functioning oversight body, this system has allowed private contractors to gain immense wealth at the taxpayer’s expense. Some of those private contractors are elected representatives. 

IV. A VASSAL GOVERNMENT: It has become clear that this Government does not govern primarily in the interests of the Irish people. On energy, migration, and foreign policy, the positions adopted align with the European Commission before the Irish electorate. Ireland’s sovereignty is being surrendered through political compliance rather than democratic choice.

THE SOLUTION: The arithmetic is simple. The Government collects approximately €2.7 billion in fuel taxes while spending €11 billion on a largely unmonitored NGO sector. To alleviate the crisis, the Government could:

• Eliminate the carbon tax on transport and heating fuels immediately.
• Reduce excise duty to sustainable levels for working families.
• Conduct a full independent audit of the NGO budget to redirect non-critical funding toward energy and healthcare.
• Renegotiate IPAS commercial contracts to end "overnight millionaires" and bring costs in line with OECD averages.

OUR DEMANDS

We call on the government to:

• Request the Taoiseach resigns with immediate effect. 
• Cease the deployment of the Defence Forces against civilian protesters.
• Engage in immediate, unconditional dialogue with protest representatives.
• Commission a full, independent public audit of all State NGO funding.
• Reassert Irish sovereignty in all dealings with EU institutions.

The people of Ireland deserve a government that listens, faces the public, and serves the national interest.