Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I thank the Leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Gilmore, for proposing this motion, which I hope the Government will have the good sense to accept. We face many challenges and none more essential than in the area of energy. Oil prices have reached a record $140 a barrel, which represents a 40% increase since Christmas. Commuters and road hauliers feel they are being mugged on garage forecourts given the costs they are facing. Petrol has risen nearly 7% in one month alone, while the cost of diesel has jumped by 30% in nine months. Meanwhile, when these issues are raised by Deputies such as myself, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, throws up his hands saying he can do nothing about prices. He does say, however, that he is doing something about increasing renewables and reducing our reliance on oil. Whatever about his first statement, there is a question mark over the second one he keeps making. In order to ensure we tackle our energy needs and meet our climate change proposals, we need fewer speeches and more science from the Minister. The Labour Party supports his drive to ensure that renewables play a greater part in energy generation, but that is why we are so disappointed in his dismal failure to introduce the new tariff scheme on offshore wind. The Minister announced the scheme with great fanfare in January but it has not materialised. None of the €4 billion that was to be spent by the private sector has materialised, instead of which we get speeches about climate change. We still have an enormous dependence, almost 90%, on fossil fuels and the record of broken promises on our CO2 emissions is simply getting longer.

We are seeking a strategic approach from the Government on energy. The Labour Party has published legislation for a fuel poverty strategy and has asked the Government to debate the measure in the House. Today's report from Sustainable Energy Ireland shows fuel poverty is a real and growing phenomenon in our society. Some 145,000 households are already experiencing fuel poverty. Electricity and gas bills will rise by up to 20%. This winter, the elderly in particular will not be able to keep themselves warm. As we know already, many old people die as a consequence of that lack of protection. There is a fuel poverty strategy in place in Northern Ireland and Britain, but not here in the Republic. If we cannot look after the most vulnerable people, then something is not working at the heart of Government. We need to address that in this House and not allow the Government to go on holidays.

Some people say Green Ministers are more interested in saving the planet than caring about people, but I cannot believe that is true. There is, however, a blinkered approach by the Government because Ministers are so cocooned they have no understanding of how difficult it is for ordinary people to cope with rising bills. All the evidence is that that approach will continue unless a new strategic approach is adopted by the Government to tackle fuel poverty and fast track renewables. In addition, a carbon fund is required possibly using additional VAT funding or the windfall from funding electricity generation.

The Government has a responsibility to work hard in dealing with the challenges that currently face society. This cannot be done behind closed doors but must be done in an open and democratic manner. One of the concerns people had regarding the Lisbon treaty was that it was somehow an erosion of democracy. Let us see the democracy we hold dear work in this House at this time.

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