Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Once again we are in the Chamber debating legislation that the Government is attempting to rush through the Oireachtas. The approach of the Government has been nothing short of chaotic when it comes to firefighting scandals and attempting to ram through legislation to cover up its mistakes and the mistakes of previous Governments. Week after week we come into the Chamber to have a Minister of State apologising for blatant disregard of rules of the State and legislation being rammed through without the proper time or consideration. It is no way for a Government to operate. This is not only me saying this. We saw it when we had the troika here. We saw it when Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael tried to privatise Irish Water. Rushed legislation is bad legislation. We even see it with strategic housing developments and the disaster that was. This is more of the same.

We will support the legislation because we are constructive in our opposition and we recognise that it is needed. People need to keep the lights on. It is only needed because the Government has mismanaged our energy supplies and ignored warnings since 2016. It has rolled out the red carpet for the energy-guzzling data centres. Currently, data centres use the same amount of electricity as all the homes in rural Ireland. They are undoing the good work of people who saved up and managed to afford to put in heat pumps or buy electric vehicles. Not everyone can do so. There are those who can wait the two years for the warmer homes scheme but what about those who cannot afford it? There are those who do not have the money to pay the difference between grants and the actual cost of the work being done. The levels of energy poverty we are experiencing is a scandal. It is a scandal that the Government could have helped with but did not. It could have targeted retrofitting at those who most need it and it could have capped energy prices.

In recent weeks we have heard shocking story after story about the amounts that people are paying for their energy this winter. For some people it is a bill too far they are so high. The Minister has spoken about the windfall tax. Here we are coming out of winter and the energy companies are creaming off the top and pushing people to the pin of their collar to keep their homes warm. Where is the windfall tax? Will the Minister consider Sinn Féin's amendments to the Bill? We recognise the work that Deputy Darren O'Rourke and Senator Lynn Boylan have done on trying to reduce energy costs and secure energy supply.

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