Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for this opportunity. Will the Tánaiste consider introducing a programme of emergency measures for businesses and households to make them more resilient in the face of rising fuel prices? I have in mind switching to shallow refits; heat controls, which could cut energy by 25%; smart meters, which 750,000 households have not exploited; initiating measures on food waste and refurbishment; better sharing platforms to allow more efficient use; and better use of our stock of homes by addressing vacancy and right-sizing. I know the Opposition will pour scorn on such measures and say we are out of touch but the reality is we need structural changes to respond quickly to this challenge, which is unlikely to go out of sight in the near future. There is huge community interest in implementing and supporting such measures.

See this speech in context