Harris ‘concerned’ about potential rises in costs following Middle East conflictBy Bairbre Holmes, Press AssociationShocks to the financial markets, the impact on oil and gas prices and increased economic uncertainty are the three key potential impacts of the escalating conflict in the Middle East the Department of Finance is preparing for, the Tánaiste has said. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Government Trade Forum, Simon Harris was asked if he was concerned about potential price rises, he said: “I am concerned. “The three things I’m most concerned about at the moment are the degree of economic uncertainty this conflict injects into a world where there is already a lot of uncertainty. Mr Harris did acknowledge “this is very, very early days”. “And the difference between those two things economically could be very significant.”

Source: Irish Independent March 02, 2026 16:13 UTC