Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We support the Bill but would prefer to see a price cap. That is an argument we have consistently made and will continue to make in order to provide the certainty that families and businesses require. Having said that, we welcome the Bill.

We also welcome the fact that some of the things Sinn Féin outlined last year which were ruled out have now, one year on, been incorporated, including measures to ensure that those on sub-meters get the electricity credit, measures to ensure that low energy users who do not require it do not benefit and dispute mechanism procedures. Outside of the Bill, I note that those on hardship meters are not being excluded from the moratorium on disconnections this winter. While all of the changes from the Government are welcome, it is a pity that it took a year to listen to what Sinn Féin said.

It remains the case that energy bills are very high. They are one of the areas where people potentially face the greatest hardship, in particular because the decisions people make regarding energy can affect their lives enormously. We think of those families on low incomes or elderly people who make a decision not to pay an energy bill or reduce their spend on food in order to pay it. These are the difficult decisions people still have to make. More is needed. We welcome what is in the Bill, but ultimately what is needed is a price cap to deliver the certainty that people need and to reduce the hardship faced by families.

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