Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)

Energy companies are putting their hands into the pockets of working families and helping themselves to their hard-earned cash. This is happening because the Government is not holding these greedy companies to account. Its policy of appeasing these energy companies is causing huge hardship for people. People in Ireland are already paying the highest electricity prices in Europe and the fifth-highest price when it comes to gas. This is having a very real and negative impact on the lives of ordinary people in my constituency. I was with the Swords women's shed this morning and the topic of conversation across the board was the impact of the cost of living on everybody. People come into my office with stories of how they are pressed to the pin of their collar simply to cover the basics. Food, rent and heating bills are causing stress, particularly for those who should be at a stage in their lives where they are enjoying themselves after a life of working hard and paying their taxes. That is without looking at back-to-school costs or anything else. I am talking about the basics.

One woman told me about how she has to watch every single penny of her pension. She goes to bed at 6 o'clock every evening as she can no longer afford to turn on her heating in her home. It is a choice of eat or heat. What type of life is that for a pensioner? A volunteer with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul told me how the demand for its service and assistance has risen dramatically. This is due to the spiralling energy costs. Energy companies have to be held to account. The forthcoming budget is an opportunity to address this. Sinn Féin wants energy credits to be included in the budget because this Government has made the political choice of putting the profits of energy companies ahead of the needs of our people. Our proposals are focused on bringing relief to hard-pressed families. We are proposing the introduction of three electricity credits valued at €150 each to a total value of €450 to ease the enormous burden that is on families and older people. We would strengthen the mandate and powers of the energy regulator to hold energy companies to account and prioritise energy affordability. We are committed to holding the energy companies to account. The Minister of State said he was acutely aware of the situation people are living in. What is he going to do to end this energy rip-off?

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