Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The response of the Government to this energy crisis has been dithering, dithering and dithering again. If one looks at the league table of European countries and what they have provided to their people as a percentage of GDP, Ireland is right there at the bottom of the list. Only Denmark is worse. This is just a shameful response to an unprecedented energy crisis that our people face, be it home heating oil, solid fuels, or petrol or diesel for their cars. Wherever they turn, for businesses, for workers or for families, this has had a crippling burden on them. The Government's strategy has been to wait until the winter and put something on the table then. What Sinn Féin has put before the Minister must be implemented.

It would cut and cap electricity charges to the levels prior to this crisis and there would be direct, targeted payments for those who most need it. There are issues around child benefit and there is also the need to address the rent crisis due to the Government's shambolic management of our housing system.

This Government has been appalling in its response to the energy crisis. It is at the bottom of the European league table. Centre-right politicians across Europe are ahead of the Government when it comes to the taxes that are required - the windfall taxes on the companies. Across the water, Nicola Sturgeon has banned evictions and said there needs to be a freeze on rents. All across Europe there are examples but the Government is behind the curve. It needs to listen to Sinn Féin tonight and finally do what is right by our people.

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