Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)

Ireland has some of the highest electricity prices in Europe, way above the EU average. The typical Irish household is paying hundreds of euro more per year than its European counterparts. This is a scandal and a direct result of Government failure. When energy companies were making record profits after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this Government refused to apply a strong and effective windfall tax. Instead, it allowed profiteering to continue unchecked. It continues to do that. Decades of Governments led by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have left us over-reliant on dirty, expensive fossil fuel imports. They failed to invest in renewables, leaving Ireland energy insecure and exposed to volatile international markets. Now, they want to lecture people about the environment.

The truth is simple. Government inaction is at the heart of Ireland's rip-off prices. Profit maximisation has been prioritised over affordable energy for ordinary families, and this must change. Sinn Féin has long set out a suite of fundamental regulatory and structural reforms that are clear and deliverable and that would significantly reduce energy costs to businesses and households. We are calling for an overhaul of the electricity markets regulatory regime. The energy regulator needs to be given new powers to monitor standing charges, hedging practices and anti-competitive behaviour, alongside stronger transparency and accountability. We want a reformed CRU mandate that prioritises affordability. We will break the link between wholesale gas and electricity prices.

Sinn Féin would make the transition fairer by restructuring network charges, expanding community and domestic ownership of renewables and introducing a fairer retrofit plan, with increased funding and accessible, area-based schemes targeting those most in need. We will end the punitive carbon tax approach that locks families out of benefits. We will commit to no further hikes. We will significantly increase investment in renewables to transform Ireland's vast natural resources into national wealth. This is about fairness, affordability and energy security for all. Families cannot afford the Government's dithering incompetence any longer. Go raibh maith agat.

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