I like numbers too but I like when they are used in an appropriate way. To take the average amount spent on electricity according to figures in the Irish Independent, which came from the Department, and then apply them to a pensioner who is not necessarily paying the average amount is a little bit disingenuous and it does not reflect the reality of the situation.

Sentiment score: 0.31

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.

Sentiment score: 0.23

I understand in the context of the Ukraine war why this happened. I also understand why we put in place measures to protect people with the exceptional measures put in place in the previous two budgets. However, prices have remained high and there is no justification for it. Nobody can give me a reason I am satisfied with as to why they remain so stubbornly high. It is grossly unfair on the people of this country that we pay among the highest rates for energy in the European Union and without any good reason for it. Let us address this. One of the ways we can address this, and reference has also been made to the renewables issue, is by bringing onstream renewable energy in this country. Offshore wind farms are an absolute obvious ask. It is shocking that we are not taking more energy from the wind and the waves that crash against the shores of this country. It is a crime we are not doing it. I welcome the infrastructure measures the Government announced today, which will reduce the opportunity for people to object to such plans. This is the right way to go about it. It should not be the case that someone can live in County Donegal and object to a wind farm off the coast of County Waterford when they have no locus standi and no basis to object to it. It is right that we change this. We need to do it even faster than what is proposed. We need to have a situation where we are bringing onstream all of the renewables that are available to us and we need to speed up the work being done on the Celtic interconnector with Franc, so we can plug into a European energy market that will finally bring a little bit of competition to those people in this country who are running utility companies and who are, at the moment, as far as I can see, fleecing the ordinary consumer in Ireland. It is not acceptable and we need to change it. Yes, we need to put in place the infrastructure but the CRU needs to take responsibility for doing what it can in the short term and not hang around until the prices go up again, without any explanation or justification as to why that is.

Sentiment score: -0.10