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

The Minister was right in one thing he said in his speech. The market system delivers. It delivers billions in profits for the energy companies. Last week business customers of Electric Ireland got welcome news that their bills would be reduced for the first time in a long time by 10% for electricity and 15% for gas. This is great news for them but many households are still waiting for news on reductions in their bills. They continue to pay sky-high energy bills, with electricity and gas bills more than double what they were two years ago. Kevin from Clonsilla showed me his bill from Bord Gáis. His previous bill was €393.54. His latest bill was a shocking €822.97. This is despite wholesale electricity prices being 41% lower January than they were in December and 20% lower than they were in January 2022 according to the CSO. It is outrageous that the energy companies do not pass on these reductions to households.

The Minister is sitting on his hands as usual. As has been mentioned, a shocking report from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul shows that the number unable to heat their homes more than doubled in 2022. This week we will have a cold spell, with parts of the country going to experience temperatures of -6°C. People are terrified of the next cold snap. Households consume as much, if not more, electricity in the months of April, May and June as they do in October, November and December. However they receive little or no support for these costs despite bills remaining sky-high. As our people experience huge bills and are frightened of going deeper into debt, the Minister speaks about them going to the community welfare officer. The Minister should try it. I challenge him. People get some support, but if they go back again and again, they will get no support.

On 4 May 2022, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, the then Minister for Finance, said windfall taxes on energy companies was the wrong direction to go. He said it would undermine investment and tax certainty in the energy sector. We know where his heart lies and where he wants to be. We need to act now to ensure people have energy security. We need to stand up for the people of Dublin West and people throughout the State and not for the energy companies and their windfall profits.

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