Another week and another Private Members' Bill to try to address the real issue that is adversely affecting the Irish people, and yet another seemingly disinterested and dismissive amendment from this do-nothing Government. What is beyond laughable is that it will ignore this issue and continue to inflict the highest energy bills in Europe on the Irish people. Then, come election time, the Government will suddenly be interested and most earnest and will introduce one-off or short-term measures to reduce people's gas and electricity bills and actually help them where it counts, namely in their pockets. That is one of the ideas in its playbook. Like all of its ideas, it has been worn out. It is too little too late. Let us get real. The energy bills the Irish people have to pay for are not fair. They are the highest in Europe. Joe and Mary Public have to pay twice the rate that multibillionaire data centre companies have to pay. Energy company profits are through the roof and yet the Government refuses to introduce a windfall tax. Profiteering and price gouging must not continue to go unchecked, and energy companies must be held to account. Just like in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East has been exploited by corporate interests. Energy companies are laughing as they go off into the sunset with sky-high profits. Meanwhile, ordinary households are being fleeced. We in Sinn Féin have repeatedly warned the Government that the regulator must be given the powers to get this under control. However, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have sat on this legislation for over three years, demonstrating once again that their priority is always the corporate bottom line over ordinary people. Sinn Féin's legislation would enhance the power of the energy regulator to hold energy companies to account, to tackle price gouging and to prioritise energy affordability. Until that is done, people will continue to fall into arrears in their electricity bills in the midst of this cost-of-living crisis. Half-measures will not make a difference and this has been proven. The Irish people are sick to the back teeth of being ripped off. They expect action from this Government but all they get is complacency. They expect accountability and all they get is deflection. They expect support and sadly all they are getting is shafted. That is the level of delivery to the Irish people from this Government and it is utterly shameful.

Sentiment score: 0.02