Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I thank the Minister. I know the Minister does not have a crystal ball and none of us do but given the seriousness of the geopolitical situation we are in, does the Minister agree that energy costs will continue to rise, and rise severely? Does he believe that this €200 subsidy to each household will be enough? I would argue that a lot more will need to be done for long-term alleviation of the problem. Has the Minister thought about looking at methods that other countries, such as Poland and Spain, have brought in? Those countries have capped the prices of energy. Has the Minister considered looking at the profits of the energy companies? My understanding is that the profits of the companies to which we pay our bills have been handsome in recent years. Are there ways to retrieve anything from those companies to alleviate the hardship on people? I am sure the Minister will agree this is a very challenging and serious situation and it will worsen over the coming period, given what is happening on the planet.