Ireland · April 2026 · All facts verified and sourced

CANNOT
BELIEVE
THIS IS
IRELAND.

🇮🇪 Built by Irish citizens · Powered by public records
Why we built this
"Protesters getting arrested, kicked to the ground, pepper sprayed. Cannot believe this is Ireland."
Peaceful protest, Ireland 2026 · These are not criminals. These are your neighbours.
6.5×
Taoiseach earns vs median Irish worker
€2.24B
Children's hospital cost (was €650M)
€1.1B
Carbon tax 2024 — record high
25 yrs
MetroLink promised. Still no train.
0
people supporting
Vote of No Confidence
⛽ Ireland #2 highest diesel tax in EU 🏥 Children's hospital: €650M promised → €2.24B, still not open 💶 Taoiseach earns €248,773 · Garda Commissioner earns €291,249 🏠 32 landlord TDs voted on housing policy 🚇 MetroLink first proposed 2001 · Opens mid-2030s 💰 Cairn Homes: €187M gross profit in 2024 🔨 BAM Ireland profits soared 79% while children's hospital delayed 🌿 Carbon tax energy credits: removed. Surplus: €10.3B ⛽ Ireland #2 highest diesel tax in EU 🏥 Children's hospital: €650M promised → €2.24B, still not open 💶 Taoiseach earns €248,773 · Garda Commissioner earns €291,249 🏠 32 landlord TDs voted on housing policy 🚇 MetroLink first proposed 2001 · Opens mid-2030s 💰 Cairn Homes: €187M gross profit in 2024 🔨 BAM Ireland profits soared 79% while children's hospital delayed 🌿 Carbon tax energy credits: removed. Surplus: €10.3B
April 2026 · Ireland
THE GOVERNMENT IS
TURNING ITS BACK
ON REALITY.
On protesters
Peaceful protesters arrested, pepper sprayed, kicked to the ground. These are not criminals. These are your neighbours, your family members.
On cost of living
€10.3B surplus. €14B Apple windfall. €24B in savings. Yet energy credits removed. Carbon tax raised. Fuel at record tax levels.
On accountability
BAM profits soar 79% while hospital delayed. Housing developers post record profits from state partnerships. 32 landlord TDs vote on your rent.
#2
in EU for diesel tax
Oireachtas PQ 136, Oct 2025
65c/L
tax on every litre of petrol you buy
CSO Fossil Fuel Subsidies 2024
€1.1B
carbon tax collected 2024 (record)
CSO Environment Taxes 2024
€0
energy credits returned in 2026
Budget 2026 · gov.ie
WHAT THEY EARN — TAXPAYER FUNDED
Annual state salary
€248,773
Micheál Martin
Taoiseach
6.5× median Irish worker
Tap for full details · source: oireachtas.ie
Annual state salary
€224,973
Simon Harris
Tánaiste
5.9× median Irish worker
Tap for full details · source: oireachtas.ie
Annual state salary
€206,617
Paschal Donohoe
Finance Minister
Shares: P&G + 6 investment funds
Tap for full details · source: oireachtas.ie
Annual state salary
€291,249
Garda Commissioner
An Garda Síochána
Earns MORE than Taoiseach
Source: garda.ie August 2025
Annual state salary
€159,525
Michael Healy-Rae
Min. of State · Agriculture
⚠️ Fuel supply contract with Kerry Co. Council
Source: Oireachtas Register 2024
Median annual earnings
€38,006
The Median Irish Worker
Half of all workers earn less
CSO EAADS 2024
Source: CSO Earnings Analysis 2024
← Tap any card for details · Swipe for all →
CSO + Oireachtas · verified
YOUR FUEL BILL
BROKEN DOWN.
Every litre you buy is a tax delivery mechanism. Here is exactly how much of your money goes where — confirmed by the government's own Dáil answers and CSO data.
Where your money goes — per litre of petrol (approx. 2026 pump price ~€1.75/L)
Mineral Oil Tax
51c/L
Carbon Tax (2026)
16c/L
NORA Levy
2c/L
VAT (13.5%)*
~24c/L
Actual fuel cost
~82c/L
* VAT is charged on the total pump price including all other taxes — you are paying tax on tax.
Source: CSO Fossil Fuel Subsidies 2024 · gov.ie Budget 2026 carbon tax rate
65c
Total tax per litre of petrol
CSO 2024
56c
Total tax per litre of diesel
CSO 2024
17c
Carbon tax per litre agri diesel 2026
Revenue.ie
€0
Rebate for agri contractors (confirmed Dáil 2024)
Oireachtas PQ 126, May 2024
CCPC Market Analysis 2022
WHO CONTROLS YOUR FUEL
Seven companies control approximately 66% of all retail fuel sales in Ireland. Circle K, owned by a Canadian multinational, leads with 13% of stations but a much higher share of volume. Source: CCPC Analysis of Irish Retail Motor Fuel Market 2022.
Market share by volume (branded)
Circle K
13% stations · ~25%+ volume · owned: Couche-Tard, Canada
Applegreen
10% · went private via US investor 2021
Maxol
6% · Irish family business
Others
Top Oil 3%, DCC 3%, Greenergy 1%
Source: CCPC Analysis of the Irish Retail Motor Fuel Market, November 2022 · Full report ↗
WHILE YOU PAY,
THEY PROFIT.
Every fact below is from Companies Registration Office filings, published annual reports, and verified media coverage. No allegations — only their own financial disclosures. These are the companies and bosses who benefited most while Irish people faced record costs.
⛽ Fuel industry
Circle K Ireland
Owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard, Canada. 13% of Irish fuel stations.
€1.25B
Irish revenue in 2024
€6.9M pretax profit
Ireland ranks #2 in EU for diesel tax — collected by government, not by Circle K. But higher state-set pump prices support higher gross revenues for retailers. Canada-based parent Couche-Tard is one of the world's largest fuel and convenience retailers.
Source: Irish Times Jan 2025 · CCPC 2022
⛽ Fuel industry
Applegreen (Petrogas)
10% of Irish forecourts. Went private via US investor B&G Capital in 2021. €849M buyout.
€849M
Buyout valuation when taken private by US investors in 2021
Founded in Ireland in 1992. Delisted from stock exchange in 2021 — taken private by US investment firm B&G Capital Partners. Now no longer required to publish full financials publicly. One of Ireland's largest forecourt operators.
Source: Irish Times 2021 · CRO filings
🏠 Housing developer
Cairn Homes PLC
CEO: Michael Stanley. Ireland's largest listed homebuilder. Sold 2,241 homes in 2024.
€187M
Gross profit 2024
21.7% margin
Revenue: €859.9M in 2024 — up 29% on 2023. Delivered average starter homes at just under €400,000. Return on equity: 15.1%. Operating profit rose 32%. CEO Michael Stanley: "Cairn will deliver another year of strong growth."
Source: Cairn Homes 2024 annual results · Irish Examiner Feb 2024
🏠 Housing developer
Glenveagh Properties PLC
CEO: Stephen Garvey. 2,568 homes delivered in 2025. 40%+ revenue from government partnerships.
€144M
Operating profit 2025
Revenue: €926M
Over 40% of Glenveagh's revenue comes from State body partnerships — taxpayer money. The company has returned €445M to shareholders since 2021 through buybacks and dividends. Profit before tax grew 11% to €125M. This is the company building social and affordable housing.
Source: RTÉ March 2026 · Glenveagh annual report 2025
🏥 Hospital contractor
BAM Contractors Ireland (subsidiary of Royal BAM Group, Netherlands)
Main contractor for the National Children's Hospital. Dutch-owned. Listed on Euronext Amsterdam.
79%
Profit increase in 2023 while hospital was delayed and over budget
BAM's pretax profit soared 79% in 2023 while the children's hospital missed every completion deadline. Hospital was originally due in 2020 for €650M. Now €2.24B. Opening: Christmas 2026 — if it makes it. BAM paid a €5 million dividend to its Dutch parent in 2023. BAM submitted 2,789 claims worth €853M for additional costs — figures not even included in the Health Minister's briefing document.
After the NCH debacle, BAM was awarded the Belfast children's hospital contract — despite concerns about its performance in Dublin. The government also awarded BAM another Irish contract despite it failing value-for-money tests, according to the Irish Times December 2024.
BAM's argument: Blamed "thousands of design changes by the client" for delays. The hospital board disputes this. Legal disputes ongoing.
Sources: Irish Times Nov 2024 · Irish Times Dec 2024
WHY ARE
GOVERNMENT
SALARIES SO HIGH?
30%
TD base salary increase since 2013
TD base salary rose from ~€87,000 in 2013 to €113,679 in 2024 — a 30% increase over 12 years. Median worker wages rose ~23% over the same period. The gap is widening.
34%
Taoiseach salary increase since 2013
Taoiseach salary: €185,350 (2013 post-Haddington Road) → €248,773 (2025). A 34% increase. Plus €134,148 in annual expenses. No public vote required.
TDs
TDs effectively vote on their own pay framework
The Independent Review Body on Senior Remuneration (IRBSR) recommends rates. Government implements. TDs vote on the legislative framework that governs this. There is no referendum or public vote on political pay.
€291K
Garda Commissioner earns more than the Taoiseach
The Garda Commissioner earns €291,249/year — more than the Taoiseach at €248,773. The Deputy Commissioner earns €204,187. These figures are from the official August 2025 Garda pay scales. Most people do not know this.
The justification used: Government pay is benchmarked against "comparable roles in the private sector" and reference to what other small open economies pay their political leaders. Ireland's government pay sits higher than the UK (Prime Minister ~€190,000) but below the US President (~€401,000). The argument: you need to pay competitively to attract capable people into public office. The counter-argument: teachers, nurses, and Gardaí are also public servants doing critical work — for a fraction of the pay. The Taoiseach earns 6.5× the median Irish worker. The Garda Commissioner earns 7.7×.
THEY SAID →
THE RESULTS.
Every entry uses official government statements, Dáil debates, and published data. No opinion. Just the record.
🏥
National Children's Hospital — €650M promised → €2.24B+, still not open
FAILED ▾
✓ They said (2015)
Budget: €650M. "A world-class children's hospital for Ireland."
✗ The result (2026)
€2.24B approved. Opening: Christmas 2026 at earliest. Health Minister confirmed Aug 2025: less than 15% of rooms finished to satisfactory level. BAM submitted further €853M in claims.
Cost overrun: +245%. Hospital was due in 2020. Then 2021. Then 2022. Then April 2024. Then mid-2025. Then Christmas 2025. Now Christmas 2026. BAM's pretax profits soared 79% in 2023 while the hospital was delayed. BAM was subsequently awarded another government contract despite failing value-for-money tests. Staffing costs are not included in the €2.24B figure.
Sources: Wikipedia NCH · Irish Times Feb 2024 · Irish Times Nov 2024
🚇
MetroLink — first promised 2001, opens mid-2030s at up to €23B
25 YEAR FAILURE ▾
✓ They said (2001)
Build metro rail from Dublin Airport to city centre. Multiple plans over 25 years.
✗ The result (2026)
Planning granted Oct 2025. Construction: 2028. Opens: mid-2030s. Cost: up to €23.4B (was €2.5B). €400-500M spent before construction begins.
In 1999, a Japanese consortium offered to build an underground rail system for Dublin for free in exchange for a 25-year operating licence. Ireland said no. 27 years later, there is still no metro. The P95 cost estimate from the Department of Public Expenditure is up to €23.4 billion.
Source: Irish Times · Dept of Public Expenditure P95 estimate · An Coimisiún Pleanála
⛽
Carbon tax "ring-fenced" for climate — €1.1B collected, credits removed
FAILED ▾
✓ They said
Carbon tax revenues ring-fenced for climate action, green transition, and household supports.
✗ The result (Budget 2026)
€1.1B collected (record). Energy credit removed. ~€300M gap between collected and officially allocated. Carbon tax raised to €71/tonne.
Ireland is #2 in EU for diesel tax — confirmed by the government's own Minister in Dáil PQ, October 2025. With a €10.3B surplus and €14B Apple windfall, the government removed the €250 energy credit. Agri contractors: confirmed zero rebate. Households paid 61% of all environment taxes in 2024.
Sources: CSO Environment Taxes 2024 · Oireachtas PQ 136, Oct 2025
🏠
Housing: "Rebuilding Ireland" / "Housing for All" — crisis worsens
FAILED ▾
✓ They said
Multiple housing action plans. Affordable housing. Rebuilding Ireland (2016). Housing for All (2021).
✗ The result
32 landlord TDs voting on housing policy. Eviction ban lifted. Average Dublin house price €450K+. Glenveagh: €144M profit in 2025 — 40%+ from state partnerships. Cairn Homes: €187M gross profit on starter homes averaging €400K.
The TDs who voted on the eviction ban, rent caps, and housing supply policy include 32 who declared rental income in 2024. The housing crisis persists while listed developers post record profits — with over 40% of Glenveagh's revenue coming from state (taxpayer-funded) partnerships. That means taxpayers fund the building of homes which are then sold at market rates for developer profit.
Source: Oireachtas Register 2024 · Glenveagh 2025 annual results · Cairn Homes 2024 results
📺
RTÉ — Tubridy paid €345K more than declared, €725M state bailout
ACCOUNTABILITY LACKING ▾
✓ They said
Transparency. Reform. Public broadcaster must be accountable to those who fund it.
✗ The result
Ryan Tubridy paid €345K undeclared. Licence fee fell €58.4M. Government committed €725M state funding 2025–2027. Taxpayers cover the fallout.
Source: Irish Times · Oireachtas Committee on Media hearings 2023
YOUR SALARY.
THEIR SALARY.
All figures from official public sources. Verified. Archived.
Median Irish worker (CSO 2024)
€38,006
€730.89/week · Half of all workers earn less than this
Source: CSO EAADS 2024 — Distribution of Earnings
VS
Taoiseach (Micheál Martin)
€248,773
€4,784/week · Plus €134,148 in annual expenses
Source: Wikipedia/oireachtas.ie 2025
6.5×
The Taoiseach earns 6.5× the median Irish worker. A Cabinet Minister earns 5.4×. The Garda Commissioner earns 7.7×. Since 2013, the Taoiseach's salary rose 34%. The median worker's wages rose 23% over the same period. The gap is widening, not narrowing.
RoleAnnual salaryvs medianSource
🔴 Garda Commissioner€291,2497.7×garda.ie Aug 2025
Taoiseach€248,7736.5×oireachtas.ie 2025
Tánaiste€224,9735.9×Irish Times Jan 2025
Deputy Garda Commissioner€204,1875.4×garda.ie Aug 2025
Cabinet Minister€206,6175.4×oireachtas.ie
Assistant Garda Commissioner€180,2504.7×garda.ie Aug 2025
Junior Minister€159,5254.2×oireachtas.ie
TD (backbench + allowance)€134,0293.5×oireachtas.ie 2024
Garda Chief Superintendent€125,3793.3×garda.ie Aug 2025
Garda Superintendent€102,3332.7×garda.ie Aug 2025
Garda Inspector~€82,6702.2×garda.ie
Garda Sergeant (with allowances)~€77,9432.1×garda.ie
Garda (starting)€38,6941.0×careerservices.ie 2025
Median Irish worker€38,0061.0×CSO EAADS 2024
Total Cabinet + Junior Ministers~€6.82M/year+ Taoiseach expenses €134,148 + all allowances
VOTE OF
NO CONFIDENCE
Protesters arrested. €2.24B hospital not open. Carbon tax record. Energy credits gone. 32 landlord TDs. Taoiseach earns 6.5× the median worker. Enough.
0
people have added their voice
Five reasons — all sourced
01
Children's Hospital: +€1.6B over budget, still not open. BAM profits soared 79%.
Original budget €650M (2015). Current: €2.24B+. Contractor posted record profits while hospital missed every deadline. Government awarded BAM more contracts. Source: Irish Times Nov/Dec 2024.
02
Carbon tax €1.1B collected. Energy credits removed. ~€300M gap unaccounted.
Ireland #2 EU for diesel tax. Households paid 61% of all environment taxes. €10.3B surplus. €14B Apple windfall. Energy credit removed anyway. Agri contractors: zero rebate. Source: CSO 2024 · Oireachtas PQ Oct 2025.
03
32 landlord TDs voted on housing policy while developers posted record profits.
Cairn Homes: €187M gross profit, starter homes at €400K. Glenveagh: €144M profit, 40%+ from state (taxpayer) partnerships. Source: Oireachtas Register 2024 · Cairn/Glenveagh 2024/2025 results.
04
MetroLink: 25 years promised. Opens mid-2030s. Up to €23.4B.
Ireland rejected a free metro offer in 1999. €400–500M spent before construction begins. Dept of Public Expenditure P95 estimate: €23.4B. Source: Irish Times · Dept of Public Expenditure.
05
Taoiseach earns €248,773. Garda Commissioner: €291,249. Median worker: €38,006.
The multiplier has been growing since 2013. No public referendum. TDs vote on their own pay framework. Source: CSO EAADS 2024 · oireachtas.ie · garda.ie August 2025.
Contact your TD directly
TDs are legally required to engage with constituents. Ask them publicly how they voted on housing, fuel, and the children's hospital. Their position goes on the record.
Find your TD →