Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Energy price hikes are crippling people throughout the State. Households are facing into the worst cost-of-living crisis in living memory and are getting hammered left, right and centre by ever-rising prices. A clear sign of the Government not understanding the pressure people are under was when the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, recently suggested ways for people to reduce their energy bills, as if they had not been doing that already.

The Government dismissed the Opposition's calls for an emergency budget during the summer recess. It ignored the crisis coming down the road and it has made little progress in developing sustainable energy alternatives to move us away from fossil fuels. This motion tonight offers solutions to stop people from having to make hard decisions this winter. Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to reduce energy costs by capping prices based on 2021 figures. We want the Government to introduce targeted measures to assist low and middle income workers and families in a meaningful way with these bills. We want it to pay a double child benefit payment, which recognises the stress that is being put on young families. We need the Government to bring in a windfall tax on the companies that are gouging people across this State. The Government cannot dither and delay any longer. It is time for the Government to wake up and realise how stretched people are. It needs to act in their interests instead of letting costs spiral and people be ripped off by companies seizing an opportunity to make enormous profits. The time for sitting on its hands has long passed. The time for action is now.

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