Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Article 17 specifies what the proceeds from the temporary solidarity contribution will be used for. It does not specify any reporting mechanisms, from what I can see. It refers only to using it for final energy customers and the other provisions the Minister of State read out. My amendment relates specifically to reporting to this House on what the temporary solidarity contribution has been used for and how it has been applied. As I said, that reporting has to go to the EU as it stands. As part of the directive, there are requirements for the Government to report to the EU, but there is no requirement within that EU directive regarding how it reports to this House. That is outside the EU's remit.

Accordingly, I ask that the Minister of State include this provision in the legislation. It is not a big ask that a report would be laid before this House to tell us exactly how the money was collected, how much was collected, when it was collected and how it was used. That is not provided for in this direction at all. The EU will not tell houses of parliament how to report to their own members. That is for the Government to decide and to put into this legislation. I ask the Minister of State to accept this simple amendment. We hear all the time from members of the Government about how the Opposition just come up with problems rather than solutions and do not offer anything constructive. Here is a simple, constructive step the Government can take, so I ask it please to take it on board and not to pretend it is going to do it any event just because the EU has said so, given that is not the case.

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