Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too support this motion. I see the Government is accepting it but that is all it will do with it. It will spin it then after that. Why will they not look after the people? From ordinary people, working people and families in their homes to community centres, schools, small butchers and hairdressers, everybody is being crippled with energy costs.

I, like the second-last speaker, am convinced, given the Government’s inertia to act and the massive profits it made last year on fuel, which were more than any other year, that it is a Green policy to make it expensive and a luxury item for people so they cannot use it. I have businesses every day of the week on to me. Trying to deal with these companies is impossible. One time there was a manager or somebody to talk to; now it is all emails and they are gone to the hills. They are gouging people.

A wonderful hotelier, 60 years in business, was on my local radio this morning. He spoke to me last week. John and Liz Nallen run the Hotel Minella.

It will be impossible to keep the doors open of they do not get fair play from the gas and electricity suppliers. Trying to get to meet somebody is almost impossible. There is no respect for those people and the amount of work they do for charity or the number of organisations that do work for charity. They are all being hammered.

Meanwhile, the Government's policies are to line the pockets of the fat cats. The Minister of State is doing this to support the two parties; I know that. It will benefit the fat cats whether it be CRH or across the board in big business. The oil companies that fund the parties indirectly have the Government in their pockets. The Government is doing it now with this new crazy idea. Somebody called it a journey the Government is bringing people on; it is bringing them down a cul-de-sac. It is a bóithrín with no end and people will find a big pond at the bottom of it and that will be the end of them.

The Government just does not get it with its fanciful policies. Why do we not have wind turbines out at sea? Why have we not got the proper policies in place? The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, does not have the money or wherewithal to do it. Shame on the Government.

See this speech in context