Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

Once again, I speak on the behalf of people who are being crushed under the weight of soaring energy costs. Once again, I am forced to say that the Government is asleep at the wheel. There will be no energy credits this year. Why is that the case? It is because there is no election. That is the reality. The Government conned the electorate last year. That was how it bought votes. There is now no election. When votes are needed, credits appear. When they are not, families are left to fend for themselves. That is not leadership; it is political convenience.

Energy costs affect every single person in this country, including children in cold classrooms, working families who are choosing between heating and paying for groceries, sick people who need warmth, elderly citizens on fixed incomes and small businesses that are trying to survive. While they struggle, energy companies are posting massive profits. What is the Government doing? Nothing. There has been no accountability, pressure or reform. I have repeatedly called for action. I have asked for transparency. I demanded that these companies be held to account. All I have received are vague statements and empty acknowledgements. People deserve better.

I will share some of the figures relating to the profits of energy companies. Bord Gáis Energy had an operating profit of €75 million in 2024. The ESB's after-tax profit for 2024 was €706 million. Energia's pre-tax profit for 2024 was €154 million. Those are astonishing figures. Nobody is willing to say they will stand by the people and businesses that are going under as the result of increasing and massive pressure. The Minister of State's job is to represent the public; it is not to defend the profit margins of energy providers. He must act now by capping prices, reforming the market and delivering real support. If he will not stand up for the people, he is not fit to sit in his seat. That is the bottom line.

We met representatives of the Irish Hairdressers Federation today. They are under immense pressure. The same is true of cafes around the country. We spoke about households. People who own restaurants, cafes and businesses like that are telling me they are going out of business. If they get a reduction in the rate of from 13% to 9%, it will be soaked up. The savings will not go back to the customer or come off prices because of the energy costs that people are paying.

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