I welcome the opportunity to close this debate. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, for his opening remarks, which I will expand on. As he outlined, the Government opposes the motion brought forward by the Independent Ireland Deputies. The Government is acutely aware of the pressures faced by many households and businesses across the country as a result of the increased energy and fuel prices on the back of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In response, we have taken a flexible approach, helping in a meaningful way across a number of areas and making sure that ordinary people see the benefit of those interventions. Importantly, we are doing this in a way that does not jeopardise our long-term objectives, which are centred around permanent changes to our energy system so people do not have to face rapid price increases in the future. To support those affected by the energy price spikes, we have introduced a €750 million package of supports, one of the largest packages across the European Union. The impact of the supports that we introduced has been significant, with 27 cent off a litre of petrol, 32 cent off a litre of diesel and 7.4 cent off a litre of green diesel. We have extended the fuel allowance, expanded the diesel rebate scheme and reduced the NORA levy. We have also opened the fuel support scheme for farmers, with a scheme for hauliers to follow in the coming weeks. The Department of Finance estimates that, taken together, this package has reduced the annual rate of inflation from April to July by 0.6 percentage points. These measures are targeted to support the essential sectors that we depend on and those most vulnerable to price increases. While they are temporary in nature, time-bound and proportionate, they are in line with the longer term fiscal strategy. Of course, these temporary supports are only one aspect of the Government’s response. They build on measures introduced over the past two budgets that provide real benefits for households and businesses across the country. These include the 9% VAT rate for hospitality and hairdressing, taking effect from 1 July, that will support over 150,000 jobs. The reduced 9% VAT rate on electricity and gas will remain in place until the end of 2030. This is one of the lowest rates across the EU. The increases in core welfare rates benefit some 1.5 million people, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents. These measures have been carefully designed to be long-lasting and fiscally sustainable. In the long term, our strategic dependence on fossil fuels has major economic implications. Moving towards domestic sources of renewable energy will reduce the impact of shocks like these and will also help to insulate people from dramatic increases in energy costs, such as we have seen in recent months and previously during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is why we are investing record levels of funding in the energy infrastructure through the national development plan. We know that money alone is not the answer to every problem. In order to achieve our long-term success, the institutions of the State and, crucially, the private sector need to be able to deliver more efficiently and achieve better value for money. The accelerating infrastructure action plan will do just that. This plan is on track to speed up the delivery and therefore lower costs for critical infrastructure such as energy transmission. We recently achieved 8 GW of installed onshore renewable energy capacity, a major clean energy milestone on the path toward green energy efficiency and security. In addition to this, budget 2026 allocated record funding for home retrofitting, including fully funded upgrades to the warmer homes scheme for those in energy poverty. These investments generate real benefits for households by making Irish homes more sustainable and more energy efficient and by lowering energy costs. The national energy affordability task force, which was established in June 2025, will further accelerate on the implementation of measures to improve energy affordability and security. The energy affordable task force will provide a coherent cross-Government strategy for reducing energy costs for Irish businesses and consumers in the long term. In all of this, it is vital to recognise that the Government's ability to respond to energy shocks and to invest in strategic energy infrastructure is made possible by sensible management of the public finances. As we take decisive action to support businesses and households in the short term, we also must maintain our ability to respond to future shocks and safeguard our economy into the long term. The medium-term fiscal and structural plan, published in December 2025, allows us to do that. It provides a framework for maintaining a sustainable budgetary strategy into the future and by setting out an overall medium-term expenditure path. The medium-term plan provides the Government with the flexibility to respond to challenges in a timely and appropriate manner. By focusing on the medium term, it safeguards overall fiscal sustainability. It is important to predict how external events will evolve and what new challenges will emerge into the future. The broader global environment remains incredibly uncertain. As a small, open economy, Ireland is particularly vulnerable. As such, the best approach for the Government is to ensure that we remain flexible to the challenges that lie ahead. Over the long term, we must continue to reduce our exposure to international energy markets by investing in secure domestic energy supply. Our fiscal strategy, set out in the medium-term plan, allows us to achieve both these aims. It ensures that we have the ability to respond to the challenges quickly and appropriately while maintaining the sustainability of the public finances and investing in the long term.

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