Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I put it to the Taoiseach that his Government is a one-trick pony as regards carbon tax. I have been contacted by dozens of individual householders who have installed solar panels and entered into contracts to supply electricity back to the grid. I have also been contacted by dozens of farmers who have installed solar panels and, indeed, many who have installed miniature wind turbines, yet they cannot get ESB to let them onto the grid. The Government is treating carbon tax as the be-all and end-all, and these people are stacked up waiting with substantial investments and want to do something for the environment. They are not climate change deniers; they are good people. They cannot get onto the grid and the ESB is doing nothing to help them or allow them in. The Government is codding the people all the time.

The Taoiseach has mentioned intelligence three or four times in the House in recent days. He does not have a monopoly on intelligence around here. Will he wake up, take away the smokescreen from his eyes and see what is happening with the conglomerates? They are codding the people and will not allow those who want to do something to do it because they have a monopoly.

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