Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have listened to the speakers and I congratulate the Rural Independent Group for bringing forward this motion. Only yesterday, I read a recent newspaper headline stating:

Spain cuts soaring energy prices with emergency measures. Government expects to redirect €2.6bn from firms to consumers in next six months, with average monthly bill falling by 22%.

Some Members today have stated that while we acknowledge green policies, we must also acknowledge the current emergency in energy. The Minister of State said in his opening remarks that is not all due to Government policy. However, the Government in power has the power to make changes and we should be assisting those who are in deep trouble.

I also read during the week that a church in the midlands has threatened that it might have to close the church for the winter if it gets very cold because it will not be capable of heating the building. Another issue people who fill their tank of petrol or diesel may not be aware of is that the energy efficiency obligation scheme comes out again in January. This will result in a further 3 cent increase on the cost of a litre of petrol or diesel, which will affect ordinary people. The Minister of State spoke about rural and urban areas. However, the speakers are correct: if a person is not in the hub of a city, he or she will have to rely on public transport which is scarce. Many people are not on the natural gas network and therefore need home heating oil. They are being hammered left, right and centre and it costs them a fortune to travel to work and school. As many of the previous speakers have said, we are in a crisis and the Government has an obligation to look after our own people. I urge the Government to considers measures similar to what Spain or Italy are currently introducing.

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