Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is €1 billion that has already been dedicated to helping people with the cost of fuel and energy. That is significant. Contrast that with Northern Ireland, where Michelle O'Neill has praised Sinn Féin for giving a €200 deduction to low-income households only, and nothing to those on middle incomes. Our response here has been much greater than the response in Northern Ireland, and by Sinn Féin in particular. It is pertinent to make that point given the contrast between what Sinn Féin does in the North, where it has to make decisions, and what it calls for south of the Border, where it does not have to make decisions, make anything add up, or even know whether something is legal. That contrast is apparent to anyone.

Of course the Government will give consideration to further actions we can take to help people and businesses with their bills. However, we need to be honest with people. We have already set aside €1 billion to reduce the cost of energy. That is already happening. We have to see what we can do beyond that that is affordable. There are many other demands on the public purse, as people will know. The budget is still in deficit so we have to bear that in mind as well. We also have to consult with the European Commission and our European partners because the VAT directive does not allow us to do what the Deputy has called for, which would have to be agreed at European level. As the Deputy will have learned a few weeks ago, what she has called for in the context of excise is also not possible because of the energy tax directive.

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