I want to start by congratulating Councillor Ted Tynan of the Worker's Party who retired from politics in Cork City Council last night. The reason this is relevant is that Ted fought for the working classes and communities on the north side of Cork city for years. However, the one thing he always fought against was the privatisation agenda of Fiann Fáil and Fine Gael. We had many marches and protested together many times against that. The Minister might ask why that is relevant. I will tell him why. We have the highest energy costs in Europe and the Government has done nothing about it. This Government and previous Governments of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have done nothing. What they have done, however, is look after big business. They looked after the big energy companies and data centres but what about the ordinary working man and woman? What about pensioners? What about people with disabilities? Who looks after them? The Government is supposed to be looking after them. Why is it not looking after them? People were shocked when people took to the streets a few weeks ago with their anger. That is why they are angry. They are angry because the Government privatised energy companies, so they could make millions of euro while ordinary people struggle. Where is the justice in that? People tell me that they cannot afford it. Then, the Minister and Government backbenchers are saying the summer is coming. I do not know whether the Minister is living in Jamaica or wherever but it is still cold in Ireland. People still need to wash clothes, cook and clean. It all costs money. It is all energy. With the summer coming, parents are asking whether they can afford summer camps, give their children a holiday or pay for childcare. That is how desperate people are. It is the Government's job to stop us having the highest energy prices in Europe, and it is not doing it.

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