Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The point I am making is that collectively, the Irish Government and the European and American Governments do have the power. It is a power that was used during the Second World War, whereby profiteering was stopped and the State took control of energy and other vital supplies in order to control prices. Under the current regime, even if we do develop more renewable energy it will not reduce the prices. I will set out some facts. Europe now produces most of its electricity from renewable resources in Europe and most of our gas comes from Corrib in Ireland. Most of our electricity - over 50% - is produced here but because we have given it over to the control of private companies, they charge what they like. They are profiteering and governments in this country and in Europe choose to do nothing about that. They can impose sanctions but, apparently, they cannot control the profiteering of energy companies in this country and in Europe. I suggest they can but they refuse to do so because, it seems, for this Government and for the governments of Europe, profits come before people.

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