Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It does not want to tackle big business in any shape, make or form. I am a small businessman, as is Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. We have to make a profit but people are being gouged and it has gone on for two years or more now. Ireland has the dearest prices in the EU for all forms of energy. Those are not my figures but those of reputable organisations. The Minister of State will not accept this reasonable amendment. Why do we have to take this half-baked approach? This amendment would have given more transparency and, as Deputy Whitmore said, it would have given more certainty to the companies as they would know what they had to do and what they had to publish and produce. We are treating these big conglomerates with kid gloves. As Deputy Healy-Rae said, we have cut off our nose to spite our face in closing down the Shannon liquefied natural gas project, oil exploration at Barryroe and everything else. Here we are in this situation and we are just pussyfooting around with these people. They need hard action. Swift legislation is needed. There should also be an amendment to include a review clause on this issue because, if it is not working - and I do not think it will work the way it should work - it will be years again before anything is done about it. I am really disappointed with the Minister of State's response to a basic and very important amendment, which he will not even accept.

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