A moment of truth is coming for Ireland in the energy crisis – and the Government’s response is going to tell a lot. It has already come forward with a €750 million plus package in two support programmes, trying to hold down fuel costs at the pump and help some of the worst-affected sectors.

There are calls for a mini-budget, but we have already seen something that looks very like one.

But what happens when household gas and electricity bills start to rise, as they will do before long? PrepayPower announced a rise on Friday and the biggest players are set to follow, though probably not for another month or two.

Understandably, given the uncertainties, Ministers have fudged the likely Government response to higher household bills.

Kinahan cartel member Sean McGovern apologises to victims, seeks reduced prison sentence

Sinking of Irish-born billionaire’s superyacht was not due to storm – reports

Last night’s Late Late Show could have been Patrick Kielty’s last. Who needs the other more?

UAE says Iran cannot be trusted over Hormuz strait; Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Spain and Italy

But as the crisis in the Gulf drags on, it is increasingly clear that what happens next is not a binary question between a war with disastrous economic consequences or peace in which oil and gas flow freely.

The messy middle ground we are in right now, with wholesale oil and gas prices relatively high, could continue for some time. Given the turbulence in the region, we could be looking at relatively higher energy costs for quite some time.

The Government faces the challenge of managing all this at a time when the wider political mood is fractious,........

© The Irish Times