Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil freisin leis na Social Democrats agus leis an Teachta Whitmore as an rún seo a chur os comhair na Dála maidin inniu.

This motion is timely. The cost-of-living crisis bears down on workers and families, and we all understand that. The recent spike in inflation has largely been driven by the steep rise in energy prices fuelled by Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. This has resulted in households facing energy bills the likes of which they have never faced before. Electricity and gas bills are stretching household finances right to the very brink.

Over the past two years, the average gas bill has increased by 140% and the average electricity bill by 111%, a doubling of bills for families. Many of them have been unable to absorb these costs without having to make cuts elsewhere and many others have been forced to scale back on basics such as food or simply turn the heating off. The figures released by Barnardos last week, which should shock all of us, reflect this. One in ten parents surveyed are now visiting food banks to feed their children and one in three are going without meals.

Energy price rises have hit the living standards of these very households. The impact on middle- and low-income households has been the most severe. The price shock has also been felt by thousands of people who are reliant on gas and home heating oil and there is no doubt that the Government has failed abjectly to provide certainty to households as energy prices spiral and are expected to remain high in the coming months.

Across Europe, governments have intervened, recognising that the energy market is broken, in order to protect and support households from the price shock. Over the Christmas break, an energy price cap was introduced in Germany and the Netherlands. Energy price caps have also been introduced in France, Austria, Luxembourg and Poland. This is happening across Europe, yet the Government refuses to provide to Irish households the certainty that is being provided to households throughout Europe. Instead, Irish households have faced sky-high energy bills and are set to face more in the months ahead.

The motion calls on the Government to bring forward an energy price cap. Sinn Féin proposed one for some time before the budget. It is something the Government could and should have done, but refused to do. We know energy companies are taking in massive profits on the back of spiralling energy prices. Energia made profits of €112 million last year. Shell recorded its highest profits in history, $40 billion, while BP recorded massive profits of $28 billion.

For a year, Sinn Féin has called on the Government to bring forward a windfall tax on the super-profits of these companies. How galling is it for Irish households to know that for months the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and Fine Gael opposed taxing the windfall profits of these energy companies? It is galling that their priority in government was to protect the profit margin of the shareholders of massive energy companies while Irish households suffered under the strain of massive energy bills.

Is it any wonder that workers and families are suffering due to the cost-of-living crisis when the instinct of Fine Gael is always to look after the profit margins of the multi-billion euro energy companies at the expense of ordinary people? Sinn Féin supports the motion because it is what we have called for for a year and is what Fine Gael says should not happen. We welcome that the motion has been tabled today and the Government is finally moving on one aspect of it.

The Government should have introduced an electricity price break to support households, protect them from spiralling energy costs and provide them with certainty. For months, the Government has acted to protect the windfall profits of energy companies instead of taking action to end price gouging and profiteering off the back of the war and address the misery of Irish households. It is long past time for the Government to put the interests of workers and families first and to take action.

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