Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the €200 payment towards energy bills but there is no incentive for providers to cut their costs. That is what is annoying me and it is why I use the word "profiteering". Every time we open the newspapers, we see that the banks and companies like the ESB are making many millions in profits. Some businesses are even saying they are making profits of 40% or 50%. We need these businesses to help us and we must find some kind of incentive in this regard. I repeat that many people will really welcome the €200. However, I reiterate that many companies are engaged in profiteering. I worked in an electrical wholesale business for 25 years and I cannot understand how a sheet of timber could cost €28 this time last year and now, all of a sudden, the price has increased to €70. There is something seriously wrong with that.

We have a culture in Ireland whereby people want to pay their bills. However, utility companies are raising prices twice a year. A widow came to me last week whose electricity bill had gone up from €130 a month to €400 or €500. The simple reason for this was that the company had made a mistake in its reading. When she telephoned the company, the response was, "Oh, sorry, we made a mistake." We must help people at this time. The €200 is good but we must give some kind of incentive to the companies to help the people who need it.

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