Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Workers and families are facing a cost-of-living crisis. They are seeing mounting energy bills and massive strain being put on their household finances. Many of them are facing sleepless nights. They are facing the stress of how they can keep on top of mounting bills, how they can heat their homes and how they can keep the lights on as we approach winter. The Government has refused the opportunity to provide certainty to households with a cut and a cap on electricity bills over the winter months, which is a mistake that exposes families to high bills and further price hikes.

At the same time, we know that households now face a threat of disconnections, with many already effectively self-disconnecting. The Government’s plan to introduce a disconnection ban from December to February falls short, with many requiring protection and support right here, right now. The households that are using pre-pay meters are particularly vulnerable without greater security of direct debit contracts with their energy suppliers. Once the €20 emergency credit runs out, they are disconnected by default. Many of them are already self-disconnecting. They are rationing their use of energy with or without a choice. They are turning down or off heating, despite the cold that is outside and inside, avoiding the use of essential appliances and skipping warm meals or showers, all to the detriment of their physical and mental health. That is what is happening in the real world.

In recent weeks and months, we have spoken and heard much about our national energy security, but we are also facing a crisis in household energy security - the ability of families to keep warm and have the basic essentials. We need to deliver certainty to those families who use pre-pay meters. This affects 378,000 households across the State, and many of them are in my own county of Donegal. It is simply not good enough for the Government to wash its hands of this with no plan to protect those families and individuals from disconnection. Earlier today we heard the Taoiseach say that allowing these individuals to build up debt is not the answer. So what is the Government’s answer? Is it for the Government to turn off the gas and lights and leave them in the dark? That is what it has done. Sinn Féin will continue to stand up for ordinary workers and families, especially during the cost-of-living crisis, when so many families feel insecurity and massive financial pressure.

I am calling on all Deputies to support this motion tabled by Deputy O’Rourke. I am calling on the Minister and the Government to finally act to put in place a disconnections ban from now until the end of March to ensure those households on pre-pay meters do not suffer from disconnection this winter.

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