Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan adhmad? Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan an páirtí Glas? This is unbelievable and bizarre. The Government is literally trying to starve and perish the people with its policies. I actually believe that now. Kindergarten children would not do what the Government has done. It shut down the plants and power supplies and then tried to say we have no ESB. EirGrid told our group 15 months ago that there was a threat. The Taoiseach, after his meandering around Béal na Blath, came up and said the Government would set up an investigation. He will go down in history for setting up more investigations and inquiries, and whatever else, to see why we did not know about the energy crisis. This is part of the global world. On the 21st of this month there is another big global meeting. I am sure the Minister for Foreign Affairs and others will be attending as our representatives. To hell with the people. It is all a power grab. The Government does not care about the people. I used to talk about the little people and the poorer people, but it is all of the people of our country now. We are supposed to have a sovereign government here. All that is bothering it every day is Ukraine and Europe. To hell with our people. To hell or to Connacht is back again in style.

We cannot keep up with the price increases. Many energy companies have left the market. Here we are rubbing our hands today. Parties voted for more carbon tax and full carbon tax. Now they are whingeing. They cannot have it both ways. If they vote for these issues and for their pet projects, they see where it ends up. We should open up Barryroe again. We should get Shannon LNG going again and reactivate our peat plants.  Imagine, the peat plant in Lanesborough was dismantled and is now functioning in Poland.  We are importing peat from Poland and other countries.  As I said, the white coat men should come along and pick up a few of the people here who are making these policies.

See this speech in context