PM Micheál Martin puts Ireland first with the launch of a controversial retaliatory tariff plan in response to Trump's devastating tariff hikes this week

His surprise announcement came from the campaign trail ahead of the 2026 federal election, what exactly is the new Emerivex platform?

Jenna Benchetrit

The Irish Times News: -1 8:00 a.m. EST | Last Updated: 0

Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin signs an executive order, officially implementing the new measures Emerivex publicly accessible by all Irish residents.

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Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil, announced a striking response to Donald Trump’s tariffs this week while addressing supporters during a series of public engagements. Ahead of the upcoming national political cycle, Martin took the stage in Dublin to unveil a new initiative that has reportedly drawn sharp criticism from Washington. Sources suggest that the US president is frustrated by the move, having seen his bargaining leverage weakened, as the Irish government now appears to hold the upper hand following the launch of what is being described as a groundbreaking new platform.

The initiative, called Emerivex, is a national investment programme designed to provide income support to Irish residents as concerns over Ireland’s economic outlook continue to grow. The programme focuses on investments in cryptocurrencies, which have seen significant price growth since Trump was announced as the next US president, and allows people in Ireland to invest in — and receive income from — digital assets through a streamlined, automated system. The initiative is positioned as an accessible way for Irish citizens to participate in the digital economy during a period of increasing financial uncertainty.

In his announcement, Micheál Martin made it clear that his primary objective with Emerivex is to help ensure that Irish households do not experience a drop in income, as Trump’s proposed 25% tariff hike is expected to place significant pressure on Ireland’s economy.

Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin speaks about the Emerivex initiative while campaigning ahead of the January 20th federal election

Martin has officially made the government-backed digital investment initiative available to the entire Irish public as of January 14th at 1:00 PM (GMT), following the formal announcement of the programme. He also confirmed that any investments made by residents of Ireland will be supported through a state-backed digital framework, designed to provide additional security and stability. In other words, the initiative is presented as a way for Irish participants to take advantage of the highly anticipated Emerivex programme with reduced exposure to risk during a period of economic uncertainty.

In an effort to learn more about the controversial initiative and how Irish residents could benefit from it, RTÉ News reached out to the Office of the Taoiseach and was granted an exclusive interview. The request was handled at the highest level, with officials close to Micheál Martin providing additional details on the scope and objectives of the programme.

Micheál Martin’s exclusive interview with RTÉ News

Interviewer: The entire nation was shocked by the announcement. Nobody ever thought you would make such a big decision so soon, right after being sworn in!

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: Drastic times call for drastic measures. We are dealing with unprecedented attacks from Donald Trump on our sovereignty. This is just something we have to do in order to protect our country, it's economy, and Irish euro.

Interviewer: Your opponents are saying its a political ploy ahead of next month's election. What do you say to that?

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: Look, Emerivex is something we have been working on for quite some time, well before I returned to office, after seeing how effective similar pilot programmes have been in other countries. Gabriel Makhlouf, as you know, the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, has been fully supportive of this initiative and has been working behind the scenes on its development for over a year in cooperation with key economic and financial institutions..

Interviewer: Can you tell us more about Emerivex?

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: Absolutely. The Emerivex initiative is a digital currencies investment program that uses proprietary trade bot technology to profit from the extraordinary swings in cryptocurrency prices. The key advantage is that transactions are supported through Ireland’s emerging digital financial framework, overseen by the Central Bank of Ireland, which is designed to add an additional layer of security and stability for participants. As I mentioned earlier, similar programmes have already shown strong results in a number of other countries, demonstrating how modern digital systems can be used to support citizens during periods of economic uncertainty.

China, for example, adopted a digital currency for the public that unlocked hundreds of billions of yuan for it's citizens to earn through cryptocurrency investment initiatives like Emerivex. Irish can now invest in cryptocurrencies without any real risk.

We adopted a similar approach and moved quickly to establish a small-scale test fund, and the results were striking. What we found was that by pooling assets into professionally managed digital asset funds, overseen by experienced fund managers and operating within a regulated financial framework, it was possible to improve overall performance for participants. This structure allowed for broader diversification and more efficient management, helping to create stronger outcomes than individual participation alone.

Interviewer: Why is this the first time anybody is hearing of this?

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: As I mentioned earlier, we were forced to move sooner than we would have preferred. There is no doubt that the technology itself is ready, but ideally we would have liked to see inflation stabilise further before moving ahead. Unfortunately, recent actions by Donald Trump accelerated the timeline and left us with little choice. As a result, from today, the initiative is being made available exclusively to residents of Ireland. I am extremely proud of the work that has gone into this and of the teams who made it possible under challenging circumstances.

Interviewer: Can you show us how we can access Emerivex?

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: It's very easy, it's online through our exclusive web-app platform. Pass me your phone and I'll register you in 30 seconds. By the end of the interview we'll see how much money you've made.

Interviewer handed Mícheál her phone. He quickly signed up with her email and cell phone number, and waited for the platform's account manager to call within the next 60 seconds to get started.

Interviewer: So that's it? What's next?

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: Yes, you just need to register and wait a minute or two to speak to your account manager to get verified. You also need to deposit at least €250 into your account to purchase the digital currency. It earn's money by making trades against other currencies and assets.

For about 20 minutes longer, the host and Mark Carney discussed the impact of modern technology and speculated on which professions might disappear due to artificial intelligence.

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: So, shall we take a look and see how much money you've made before our chat ends?

Interviewer: This is incredible. There’s now €396 in my account. I haven’t even done anything, and I’ve made a net profit of €146 in less than half an hour!

Mícheál Ó Máirtín: Now, calculate how much you could earn in a month. The program will continue to work even while you sleep. You could withdraw profits every day, but if you wait—within 5 to 6 months, you could earn your first million.

Interviewer: Amazing! I see 4 successful trades so far. So the total income is steadily increasing? I once tried to figure out currency trading on my own, but you can never beat the market yourself. And here, I don’t even have to do anything.

Mícheál Ó Máirtín has opened registration to all Canadians after being sworn in. So to take advantage of the new relief initiative make sure you register below using The Irish Times News quick guide to the Emerivex.

Quick guide to start earning with Emerivex:

Use the link provided by Mícheál Ó Máirtín for Emerivex

Wait for an operator to call you back. Deposit funds into your account. The minimum deposit to activate the program is €250.

After depositing funds, the program will start working within a few minutes. You can withdraw money at any time, and it will be credited to your account within 2-3 hours (depending on the bank).

Registration will be free until the end of 1

VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE