Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The impact of the energy crisis in my constituency in County Kerry has been far reaching. Average gas and electricity prices have doubled in the past two years. The number of households in energy poverty has increased by 29% and all the time, the Government refused to reduce and cap energy prices, or introduce the windfall tax. The result has been that older people are in the dark; families are checking how much they eat in a week in order to keep the lights on and businesses face bills that tripled or quadrupled constantly. Cafés and restaurants, some of which have been in operation for 20 or 30 years, have had to close. Something has to give.

While the worst of this winter may have passed, there is no guarantee that energy prices will come down. The St. Vincent de Paul report with regard to energy poverty was mentioned. More than 1,400 calls for help, per week, were made to St. Vincent de Paul in counties Cork and Kerry last December. This was an increase of 30% on the figures in the run-up to Christmas 2021 and, according to a report in the Irish Examiner, St. Vincent de Paul was facing the most demanding Christmas period in decades.

Businesses were also suffering. Ballybunion health and leisure centre had to cut back on services, due to the high bills it was receiving, and was ineligible for support under the TBESS. The renewal of that scheme is incredibly important, because it showed how out of touch the Government was, in that businesses which did not work off the mains were not included in the scheme. I have two bills in front of me. One of them was received by the Tralee community development project. The group deals with women's groups and mental health organisations. Its bill in January and February 2022 was €3,917, for the use of 17,000 units of electricity, but in January and February 2023, the bill was €6,623 for 6,000 units fewer. The meals-on-wheels system in Tralee is supposed to move into the building, but that is under severe threat, because of the massive increase in its energy bills.

The reducing and capping of June 2021 prices has not happened. It should happen. I call on the Minister of State to help the businesses and people of County Kerry.

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