I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — Irish energy prices are amongst the highest in Europe leading to an extra €500 on household bills and is a leading factor in Ireland's cost-of-living crisis; — the number of households in arrears are at their highest level since records began with 300,000 households in arrears on their electricity bills and 185,000 households in arrears on their gas bills, while many more are just about able to keep up with their bills but are under real pressure; — electricity prices are the highest in Europe and gas prices are the 5th highest; — wholesale electricity prices have fallen 75 per cent since their 2022 peak yet retail prices remain 70 per cent above 2022 levels; — household bills have fallen much slower in Ireland than other European Union (EU) countries following decreases in wholesale prices; — many energy suppliers have recently increased energy prices despite the sector boasting substantial operating profits; — the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has warned that without energy credits and Government action to lower people's bills there will be a spike in the number of people pushed into arrears; — the Government is committed to five regressive carbon tax increases that will hike more cost on people that need to heat their homes with oil and gas; and — energy poverty is at record levels with one in three struggling to access this basic necessity; further notes that: — the CRU does not have the mandate or powers to regulate the hedging strategies of energy companies or the standing charges they place on household bills; — data centres consume around 25 per cent of Ireland's electricity, and this is expected to rise to 30 per cent by 2030 consuming the equivalent of over two million homes; — according to senior Government officials' data centre energy demand is leading to higher energy bills for households and could jeopardise our ability to deliver new homes; — network costs in Ireland are the highest in Europe with a disproportionate burden placed on households, especially lower income households; — the draft decision for Price Review Six (PR6) proposes to increase network costs on households and to decrease them for data centres; — the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy which is used to fund the renewable transition is also structured and distributed regressively; and — Ireland imports 80 per cent of the energy we consume leaving energy bills excessively exposed to market fluctuations and geopolitical matters, often placing upward pressure on household bills; regrets: — the Government's continued position that they will not continue electricity credits this winter despite the fact that prices have failed to fall to levels in advance of when they were first introduced in 2022; and — the excessive liberalisation of the Irish energy market whereby our State-owned energy producer and supplier went from owning 96 per cent of capacity in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2024, which coincided with Irish electricity prices going from the lowest in the EU to the highest; and calls on the Government to: — introduce three electricity credits valued at €150 each, totalling €450 to ease the enormous burden on households; — reverse the carbon tax increase introduced by the Government in 2025, and ensure no further increase to the carbon tax next year, including gas and home heating oil; — strengthen the mandate and powers of the CRU to hold energy companies to account, prioritise energy affordability and enhance transparency in the energy market; — ensure oversight of hedging practices to protect against price gouging and profiteering; — regulate standing charges to keep locked in prices lower; — sanction anti-competitive behaviour to ensure the proper functioning of the market; — mandate profit reporting to the CRU on operations in the State by all large energy companies; — reduce the cost on households from the regressive PSO levy and network charges by making sure large companies pay their fair share by implementing a fair funding model; — ensure that the draft decision of PR6 is not implemented in its current form; — end Ireland's over-dependence on energy imports and deliver Irish energy independence; and — increase public ownership of Ireland's energy supply and operation in order to ensure natural resources are directed toward the generation of national wealth rather than private gain. Ireland’s cost-of-living crisis is causing workers and families the length and breadth of the country to be hammered by soaring prices. If it is not rents, student fees or voluntary contributions, it is energy bills. Households are bracing for a round of energy price hikes just as the Government is choosing to withdraw energy credits. Energia, Flogas, Bord Gáis Energy, Pinergy and SSE Airtricity have recently announced double-digit increases at a time when many of them are posting huge profits. Some 750,000 households will be forced to pay hundreds more euro, money which they simply do not have. The level of arrears is at record levels. Some 300,000 people are in debt on their electricity bills, while the number of people who cannot pay gas bills has soared to 183,000. That is even with electricity credits in place. The energy regulator has warned that eliminating them is likely to lead to even further spikes and more people in debt, at risk of poverty and in a state of continual anxiety. Ireland already has the highest electricity prices in Europe. Ordinary people are being absolutely fleeced by energy companies. Are things not bad enough? It is unbelievable that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Healy-Raes and the Lowry-led regional Independents would chose this moment to make the situation even worse. This is another example of a Government that is completely out of touch. Ireland’s crippling energy prices are not inevitable. The Government does not have to turn a blind eye to the rampant profiteering and price-gouging by energy companies. It does not have to further entrench the deep unfairness at the heart of Ireland’s energy market. These are political choices to prioritise the profit of energy companies and the energy demand of data centres over the needs of ordinary people who are just trying to keep the lights on and stay warm. It is the Government’s inaction, its paralysis in the face of rampant profiteering, which is to blame. The latest task force is nothing more than a smokescreen for the fact that the Government is determined to continue with more of the same. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have repeatedly ignored, pushed back against or rejected Sinn Féin’s proposals to get prices under control. They disregarded our measures to strengthen the power of the regulator to rein in the energy companies, which have been running roughshod over ordinary people for far too long. They dismissed our calls to overhaul the Government’s regressive approach to network charges and the public service obligation, PSO, levy in order that data centres would pay a fair share. Not only have they totally failed to accelerate the renewable transition at the pace required but they continue to prioritise the private interests of corporate developers overseas over the interests of people on the island. It does not have to be this way. The Government has shown whose needs it is going to prioritise and who it will protect. It is not ordinary people. Enough is enough. The Government must adopt Sinn Féin’s proposals in order that energy companies are held to account.

Sentiment score: 0.11

The response of the Government in this amendment is vague in places and downright inaccurate in others. The amendment is an insult to the millions of ordinary workers and families who are bracing for another round of energy hikes and to the hundreds of thousands of households that are falling further behind on their energy bills with each passing month and many more who are barely scraping by. I am disappointed but not surprised that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry-led regional Independents are choosing to prioritise the profits of energy companies and the demand of data centres over the needs of workers and families. Ordinary people are being fleeced by the energy companies while the Government stands idly by. Judging by the amendment, the Government seems to think it is inevitable that Ireland will have the highest electricity prices in Europe and that households will simply just have to grin and bear it. With one in five children living in poverty, it is totally unacceptable but the problem is not intractable. It is a matter of political choice. Sinn Féin's proposals provided the Government with the answers but it is clear that it is not prepared to listen. The energy task force that has been referenced is nothing more than a smokescreen for the fact that the Government does not have a plan or even the intention to end the rip-off for good. It was stated that the task force, which was set up in June, was not finalising a report but was instead working to finalise the preparation of an interim report. That does not sound like urgency to me with the winter coming in and the price hikes we have seen. The task force members' predecessors had a steering group. It achieved nothing. Ordinary people do not need another round of talking shops. They need action and urgency. The amendment claims that electricity and gas prices have historically been higher here than in other EU states. That is not the case. It implies that we have no choice but to accept energy bills that outstrip our neighbours by over €500. Ireland used to have the lowest electricity prices in Europe. Following the disastrous decision to completely liberalise the Irish energy market, we now have some of the highest electricity prices. As many contributors have pointed out tonight, this is a political choice but does the Minister of State know what is regrettable, given that the amendment talks about how regrettable the network charge rise is? Households are expected to shoulder a disproportionate burden while data centres do not have to pay their fair share. It is time for the Minister of State to stand up. Ordinary people are stretched way beyond their means. They need more than this. The Government must stop rolling out the red carpet for data centres. They must not be allowed to drive up energy prices any further. Ordinary people must be protected and energy affordability has to be the priority for the Government rather than an afterthought. It is time to end the rip-off.

Sentiment score: 0.03