Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

I reiterate the Ceann Comhairle's words. Julie, you are an absolute legend and you know it. Thank you for everything. I know everybody sends nothing but the best of wishes to you and the family for the next chapter of what I have no doubt will be an interesting and delicious story. Thank you for looking after us.

Last night the Israelis attacked a peaceful flotilla that includes a Member of the Oireachtas, our colleague Senator Chris Andrews. This is a serious development and I have submitted a request under Standing Order 44 which I hope will be looked upon favourably. This flotilla is in imminent danger. I think there are over 20 Irish citizens on it, including Senator Andrews.

Yesterday I raised with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, the pressure households are under to keep up with out-of-control prices, stretched to the limit just to get by. I raised the fact the price of groceries has gone through the roof, increasing sharply in the past 12 weeks, and that four energy companies have announced big electricity price hikes. These hikes will hit households hard.

As an example, I was talking to one father yesterday. He has two children. He and his partner work hard all week but he is already borrowing from his parents just to pay his bills. His savings have been wiped out and he does not know where he would find the money to pay for even higher bills. That is how tight things are and he is not on his own.

Workers and families are at a loss as to how the Government stands back and refuses to take direct action to tackle this crisis. I said to the Minister yesterday the budget has to be about ending the rip-off, getting costs under control and supporting workers and families, and I told him that withdrawing energy credits in the budget is a terrible decision. I repeat that today. Instead of recognising the pressure people are under, the Minister chose to stand up and boast that he will not intervene or give way to what he chose to describe as "populist outrage". That is one for the books. How is this for populist outrage? Flogas electricity prices and student fees are already up; on 1 October, VHI charges go up; on 8 October, petrol and diesel prices go up; on 9 October, Energia electricity goes up; on 12 October, Bord Gais electricity prices go up; on 13 October, Pinergy electricity goes upon 20 October, SSE Airtricity goes up; and on 1 November, local property tax charges go up. There you have it, Minister. Those are some of the body blows households will take literally days after the budget.

Here is the big shock - the electric shock, if you like. Almost 1 million households will see their electricity bills go up because of these price hikes. How is that for populist outrage?

People have a right to be angry; as a matter of fact, they have a right to be furious because they see a Government that has done nothing to stop energy companies ripping them off and now it wants to cancel the energy credits. Yesterday, in an attempt to justify that out-of-touch decision, the Minister said credits were introduced at a time of very high energy prices. That remark left people shaking their heads because their electricity bills are getting higher and higher and they are being pushed closer to the edge. Tá ardaithe móra ar phraghsanna ag teacht d’oibrithe agus do theaghlaigh sna seachtainí atá romhainn, go háirithe ar phraghsanna leictreachais a bheidh mar bhuille ollmhór do theaghlaigh. Ní féidir leis an Rialtas neamhaird a thabhairt ar an mbrú atá ar dhaoine. Caithfidh creidiúintí fuinneamh a bheith sa bhuiséad. The barrage of electricity price hikes facing households must be an eye-opener for Government. Surely to goodness, it cannot leave people high and dry. I tried yesterday, and will try again today, to ask that Government reverse the crazy decision to withdraw energy credits in the forthcoming budget.

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