Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

That is one of the most imaginative things to emerge from that side of the House this year. Fish is 24% higher. I do not think the Taoiseach understands what is going on. He speaks about energy prices. A barrel of oil costs $52, the lowest price in 19 months. Anybody who has to go into the petrol forecourt will know that has happened. I know that the Taoiseach and none of the comedians beside him has had to go near a petrol forecourt for a long time so that they do not have any idea of the situation confronting the average taxpayer and the average citizen. How can the Taoiseach seek to deny the facts before his eyes in terms of the cost of living? Inflation, according to his own figures, is officially 4.9%. That Ireland is the most expensive country in the eurozone area is something the Taoiseach ought to know excludes some of the items he tried to include. I asked the Taoiseach what action he proposes to take on this issue. He said various meetings are lined up and that he will meet the regulator and so on. When answering a question in the House recently the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, made clear that he had no intention of changing the position where the regulator makes his decisions once a year.

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