Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

Ireland has the highest cost of electricity in the whole of Europe. The per unit price is double the average being charged in Europe at the moment. The Minister is not correct in saying that the Government has been active in significantly reducing the cost of energy. There is no contractual obligation on the Government in the context of the M50. The M50 is owned by the State. The truth is that these tolls are being used as an ideological stick to put people off the roads in the same way that the hikes in excise and VAT on petrol and diesel are being used strategically to reduce the demand for fuel in this country. The Government is putting the Green Party’s ideology and strategy ahead of the needs of people. People are currently maxed out on overdrafts and loans. They are going to moneylenders and are not able to pay for their gas. Some 600,000 people are in poverty. At the same time, the Government is allowing for significant increases in tolls on roads it owns and that the people have paid for over and over again. The Government could say stop. Will it do so?

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