Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the Tánaiste has already heard in the House many times this morning, household energy bills have gone through the roof. Electricity and fuel costs have been hyped up with massive Government taxes, which take people's household bills beyond reach. Farm contractors, hauliers and ordinary mothers and fathers are not able to keep up with the cost of fuel. An even bigger concern is the huge amount of businesses in west Cork which contact me on a daily basis from Bandon, Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry and its surrounds. They are telling me they will have to close their businesses this September or October if the Government does not step in. Businesses such as restaurants, fast food outlets, cafes and pubs tell me their electric bills have gone from €2,000 or €3,000 every two months to €5,000 or €6,000 every two months. They cannot and will not survive the green agenda's taxes on fuel and energy to pay for pet projects to keep the Green Party aboard the sinking ship. What will the Tánaiste tell those businesses in west Cork which are facing closure in the months ahead? These are businesses, I may add, which are decades delivering jobs and services in their rural communities. What answers does the Tánaiste have for the struggling businesses which simply cannot pay their electricity bills to keep the lights on?

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