Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important Bill. Its importance has been brought to the attention of all of us in our constituencies, with people telling us they find it harder to live because of the cost of energy, fuel and all the other things necessary for living. It is important that people are supported but I am not sure about supporting them by giving them energy credits.

In my opinion, that might only fuel inflation. The energy crisis affects every facet of our lives. It affects home life, public buildings, the cost of doing business publically, and business more generally. A businessman contacted me yesterday evening and told me that his energy costs have risen so much that his reserves in the business are depleting. He employs a huge number of people in his homegrown business. He is fearful that if we do not arrest this and provide proper supports for business over the next 12 months, he will have to close his doors. The negative effect of that will be passed on.

There was a big emphasis over the summer on stopping people from displaying turf for sale. In the constituency where I live, turf is very important for keeping people warm during the winter. The arguments made were all about air quality, but if people end up with no heat in their houses, there will be a lot of flu, pneumonia and chest infections. I think it is important that if we are changing rules we do not change them until we actually have the alternatives in place. One of the big things that is talked about in heating is air to water and getting people to put in air to water heating systems. However, it takes electricity to run them. People who have done it and have tried to comply with the green agenda are left in a situation where they are paying more for their heating and they have no control over it, other than turning down the thermostat.

In relation to the credits that have been proposed, I think the pay-as-you-go customers need to be sorted now. There can be no dilly-dallying with this. Every pay-as-you-go customer must get the benefit of this credit. The Government has announced that it is giving all of this money out, so it must ensure that everybody gets it and not just some people. I also believe that the standing charges on ESB bills are gross and unfair and should be abandoned at this particular time. We are in a crisis. The standing charges should be removed. People can refer this to the energy regulator. We are all in this House to make sure that we have good laws and good governance. The standing charges should be taken out as a matter of urgency, as should the PSO levies.

It is very important that we talk about the smart meters that have been installed, the investment that has been put into them and what use they are to people who are trying to use them. I have heard some people say that one way of saving energy is to put on the tumble dryer at night. It is actually risky to do that, because the heat build-up in a tumble dryer could cause a house fire. We must be very careful about the advice that we are giving out on how appliances should be used. It is important that the Government steps up to the mark and issues proper guidance on how to conserve energy, rather than leaving it to other people. Energy providers are taking advantage of the current situation. They are making profits on the back of people who are suffering. It is important that they are challenged at every opportunity.

I welcome the fact that last week there was an announcement that solar panels on roofs would be exempt from planning regulations in most cases. However, there are two things that I ask of the Government in connection with that. Whatever ministerial directive to local authorities is required, it must be given now and not in a month's time or two months' time. The announcement has been made. The Government must ensure that the local authorities know how to deal with the matter. For instance, if a person is putting solar panels on his or her roof, whether the property is a farm, a house or a business, will planning permission be required? If the answer is "No", will the person need to apply for a certificate of exemption from planning permission from the local authority before the work is carried out? We have to be upfront with people and tell them what they have to do, because they are anxious to get involved in this. The second point I wish to make on solar panels relates to experiences shared with me by a number of constituents in Galway East. They have told me that they invested in solar panels in the past and did everything to try to create green energy, but they were sold a pup in terms of the energy credit they would get for what they were feeding into the network. That was supposed to happen in July of last year and people still have not got their money. It is a failure of Government that we would lull people into a false sense of security and tell them that they would be getting a return on their investment. Likewise, the rate that they are getting for the energy that they are feeding back into the system is way too low and should be looked at seriously.

Lastly, I wish to make the point that we are at a stage where we are facing a huge energy crisis. There are two parts to it. There is the issue of supply and the fact that we are putting all of our eggs into one basket when we do not know how we are going to deal with it. Offshore energy is a case in point. I will leave my thoughts with the Minister of State.

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