Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

Does the Minister of State accept that the Forfás report will indicate that the cost of operating in this economy is 32% greater than what prevails in the United Kingdom? Does he agree it was a useful exercise on the part of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment to call on the Commissioner for Energy Regulation not to increase the prices of oil, gas and electricity? Does he accept that it was an act of economic lunacy, given the economic meltdown we are facing, even to contemplate increasing the rate of VAT, with the associated serious impact for consumers?

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