Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That sounds lovely, but a constituent of mine and the Minister of State got into trouble financially. He pays €2,000 in rent and, despite working 50 to 60 hours a week, is struggling to pay his bills. He contacted eFlow about his toll bill, which amounted to €240, offering to pay €80 every week over a period of three weeks. The company agreed but stated that by the end of that term, the bill would have increased to more than €1,000. That does not tally with the information eFlow gave to the Minister.

A toll of €3.50 increases after 14 days to €46.50. After 56 days, an additional €116.50 is charged, bringing the total to €163. We brought in legislation to prevent moneylenders doing similar; we need to ensure eFlow will not do it either. Does the Minister consider these penalties proportionate?

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