Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sure, having been elected to this House, that the Minister's commitment is to serving the people. He has been talking about what is in the programme for Government. What about the promise he made to look after the people? It was announced yesterday that ESB prices are going to go up by between 23% and 25%. The Minister is blaming the war. Please be honest with the people. These prices were spinning out of control anyway. We introduced a motion to address that last October before there was any mention of a war. I call on the Minister to be honest with the people. There was a 24-month delay on the warmer homes scheme before the pandemic. That delay has now extended to three years, if the scheme will happen at all. The Minister is playing a mind game with people who are freezing and getting sick. They cannot afford the ESB charges or the cost of fuel. The Government is also going to persist with a carbon tax on top of that. I call on the Minister to get real and honour his commitment to serve the people. We are Teachtaí Dála. We must look after the people. We do not have to look after global interests or the interests of anyone else. We do not need the Minister to be reading out triple lock agreements that are stitched into the programme for Government. Look after na daoine, the people. They are crying out for help.

See this speech in context