Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

Households are not unitary things. They do not all look the same and they do not all pay the same for electricity. If we take the average, it will be above what the average pensioner is paying because the average pensioner is in a household that is smaller and, therefore, has fewer energy demands. It is comparing apples and oranges, which is not to say I am happy with the cost of electricity because I am not. Everyone of us in the House acknowledges that electricity and energy costs in this country are way too high. They are inexplicably high. This is something I have raised in the Chamber previously.

We have put in place a regulator to ensure the cost of energy in this country is managed yet we have seen huge spikes in the cost of electricity in circumstances where 40% of our electricity is generated from renewables. How can this be? They are not affected by the increase in the wholesale price of oil and gas.

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