Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

Tá a fhios ag gach duine nach bhfuil rud ar bith sa bhuiséad do dhaoine, teaghlaigh ná oibrithe atá ag fulaingt. Is í sin an fhírinne. I have asked a question about price gouging and ending the rip-off by energy companies. As usual, the Taoiseach has come up with nothing. His budget has made a bad situation worse for working people. I know he is not a great listener - God knows, his backbenchers know that all too well - but he might afford to the general public the courtesy of actually hearing what he is being told loudly and clearly: workers and families are struggling and struggling hard. The ESRI has confirmed that the Government has left them worse off after its budget. The specific issue I want to know from the Taoiseach is as regards energy costs, which are being hiked again and again. A rip-off is under way. Wholesale energy prices are down more than 70% since 2022. In countries all across Europe, that reduction is felt by consumers, but not here in Ireland. As the Government that took away energy credits, I want the Taoiseach to set out what it is doing to stop this gouging and to end this rip-off. Please answer that question.

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