Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to make a short point on amendment No. 92. As the Minister pointed out, the amendment was not included in the alternative budget, and asked why that is the case. I think he should be afforded an opportunity to hear why it was not in our alternative budget. Indeed, he is the reason for it. The Minister informed us, through a reply to a parliamentary question, that it would not be possible to zero-rate energy prices. That question was raised with the Minister by my colleague, Deputy Mairéad Farrell, in seeking clarification as to whether that would be allowed by the European Commission. The Minister did not respond to Deputy Farrell's request at that time. The day after the budget, the commission published its toolbox to tackle rising energy prices, which allows for a rebate of energy prices, of which the Minister will be aware. On 25 October, the Czech finance minister wrote to the European Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, asking for a temporary waiving of VAT. The reason that we did not argue for this prior to the budget is because the Minister told us it was not possible. However, when we looked at what the Minister's colleagues in the Czech Republic were doing and what the Commission agreed the day after the budget, we called for this support to be introduced for families at this point in time. With that, I wish to press the amendment.