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

The cost-of-living and inflation crises were key issues at Davos. Did the Taoiseach talk to any representatives from France when he was there? This morning, he pooh-poohed efforts to control rents. He has similarly pooh-poohed our proposal that we should control energy prices. It may be of note to the Taoiseach that the French Government has limited energy price increases to a maximum of 4%. The French Government can do that. It has also introduced a new regime of rent controls. It recently nationalised one of the major energy-producing companies to keep prices down. Those are all things the Taoiseach refuses to do as the cost-of-living crisis absolutely crushes people and will do even more extremely as we head into the winter months. Does the Taoiseach not think he might learn something from what the French are doing to control rents and energy prices and, indeed, take over energy companies to operate them on a not-for-profit basis?

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