John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Leader knows, in recognition of stubbornly high energy costs, the Government last year introduced three universal energy credits of €200. In this year's budget, three further universal energy credits of €150 each, which automatically come off every householder's bill, were announced. This was welcomed across the board in my county of Waterford and across the country. It is an important measure.

I raise the issue on the Order of Business because I received a text this morning purporting to represent the Government. It states it is from gov.ie, suggests I am eligible for a discounted electricity bill under the energy support scheme and tells me to apply for same via a link. Clearly, it is a scam. I have checked with a number of other people who received the same text. It is very serious that the message is purporting to come from the Government. It is obviously targeted at the most vulnerable people in our society. It is a very realistic scam and one could easily clink on the link, given the cost-of-living pressures everyone is experiencing. It is abhorrent, to be frank. Anyone engaging in that sort of activity should be ashamed of themselves.

I welcome the fact that the Garda made nine arrests yesterday in connection with two scams relating to the Waterford division crime hub. I hope those will be the first arrests of many. It is very important that people are vigilant when it comes to such scams. The energy support credits we have put in place do not require anybody to click on a link in a text. The credit automatically comes off energy bills and people do not have to do anything to receive it.