Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Speaking on radio last Sunday, the Taoiseach gave an assurance that nobody would be disconnected from electricity supply this winter. He said:

In an energy crisis of this kind we cannot have disconnections. We are very clear about that.

This is very welcome news, as people are now under severe pressure. The energy credits announced in the budget are already being gobbled up. From this week, Electric Ireland customers face a price hike of 38% for electricity, while Bord Gáis customers have been hit with a massive increase of 45% and other energy companies will also hike their prices this month. The Government's refusal to cap electricity bills at pre-crisis levels has left people wide open to further hikes. In reality, and despite the Taoiseach's assurance at the weekend, households struggling to pay their bills remain in danger of disconnection. This is a very real and present fear. We know that 712 households were disconnected in the first half of this year and that was before the impact of the huge increases in bills this winter.

Workers and families need more than words. They need a real plan from the Government that gives them the certainty that they will not be disconnected. The Government’s intention is to introduce a ban on disconnections for all customers from 1 December until the end of February. That it not good enough. It leaves people waiting far too long for protection and the time span is too short. We are now starting the run-up to Christmas, which is a most expensive time of the year. People are coming under huge financial strain today and are struggling to pay their bills today. The Government must start the ban on disconnections now. It should kick in immediately and should run until at least the end of March.

The Taoiseach also said that the Government would protect pay-as-you-go meter users from disconnection. However, other than directing people to their local social welfare office, he does not have a plan to back up that commitment, or does he? Once a person’s €10 arrears allowance runs out, pay-as-you-go meters gets disconnected. Many households on prepaid meters are already rationing their electricity for fear of being cut off and that is a horrible situation for any family. Ní cheart go mbeadh aon teaghlach ag tabhairt aghaidh ar dícheangal fuinnimh an geimhreadh seo. Caithfidh an Rialtas cosc ar dícheangail a thabhairt isteach anois go dtí deireadh mí an Mhárta agus caithfidh an Rialtas plean a chur i bhfeidhm a chosnóidh custaiméirí ó a bheith dícheangailte.

The Taoiseach needs to back up his promise that nobody will be disconnected with real action. Will the Government start the ban on disconnections for all customers now and extend it until the end of March? Will it take measures to ensure that pay-as-you-go electricity customers will not be disconnected this winter? Can the Taoiseach outline how this will work and, most important, how quickly it might be implemented?

See this speech in context