Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

This Bill has been fast-tracked as an attempt to cover up decades of underinvestment in our energy grid. I absolutely agree that we need a modern, fit-for-purpose grid but it must be done with the required Government accountability. Sinn Féin has four constructive amendments we are asking the Minister to consider. They include proposals for greater transparency, fairness in pricing and the prioritisation of projects. Data centres cannot be given the same priority as hospitals. This is an issue on which we see bad Government policies leading to priorities not being delivered.

The Bill should have included actions to ensure consumers are not forced to pay increasing energy costs while energy companies see soaring profits. There are people struggling with the cost of heating. As we face into winter, hundreds of thousands of people are in arrears on their electricity bills. With prices having gone through the roof, more and more will join them. The Government must do more to tackle the energy companies. With the removal of the energy credits, the Government itself has increased people's energy costs this year. People were dependent on those energy credits. They were their hope of being able to pay bills and keep the heating and lighting on during winter.

There are families sitting right now in cold homes. There are parents who feel like failures because they are not able to look after themselves and, in particular, their children the way they should be. There are older people - I have spoken to them in areas I represent, including Madden's Buildings in Blackpool, Roche's Buildings and Barrett's Buildings - who are terrified by the cost of electricity and how they are going to get through this winter without the support of the payments that were made last year.

Will the Government ensure that energy companies are not making horrible profits on the backs of ordinary people who are really struggling? Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have for too long cowardly not tackled these companies and their major profits.

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