Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not going to stand here and say people will not welcome the rebate for energy costs. Of course, they will welcome it in very difficult times with the rising costs of energy, which are sky-rocketing to an extraordinary level. Without the Government tackling the energy companies as to where they can make savings, I know people can make savings by ringing around. I contacted a telephone company today and saved about €150 per month just by picking up the phone and ringing. Electricity companies have overcharged ordinary people. You see so many businesses in serious trouble because of energy costs. Last week, the Government made a serious own goal by not reducing VAT for the hospitality sector. These businesses are facing enormously difficult challenges. It is obvious that its backbenchers did not sell the Government the reality of the story because the issue is the same regardless of whether you are in west Cork, Tipperary, Kerry, Limerick or Donegal. If you are running a business and open an electricity bill, you know you are in trouble. The Government has no interest in small businesses. It put the VAT rate up to 13.5% to destroy those businesses and has closed at least 600 of them in a short space of time. Some people argue that the hotel sector is different and is doing well but the bottom line is that the Government could have separated the VAT. It could easily have done that but it will not do that because it is tax-hungry. The Government will give a bit of an electricity rebate but it will turn around and put fuel up so everybody arriving at filling stations the next day will find that the cost of fuel has gone up by about two cents. This is more than what people can afford. That is the Government's way of attacking ordinary people. The Government is throwing bad money on top of bad money. We all know about the mobile phone pouches, the bike shed and the €1.4 million for the security hut when we cannot keep a Russian out. All of this money is being wasted but at the same time, businesses that are trying to survive cannot survive the way things are.

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