The Government's hands-off approach to the energy crisis is callous and cruel. For weeks now, the Tánaiste has failed to intervene as prices have spiralled. When the Social Democrats asked the Tánaiste to act, he refused. Instead of there being support for people, the Tánaiste has been missing in action. Individuals, families and businesses do not have the luxury of sitting back and monitoring the situation. For them, the impact has been immediate and unavoidable. Petrol and diesel prices are soaring, home-heating oil has shot up by 80% and gas prices are rocketing. These are not abstract fluctuations on international markets. These are astronomical price increases that ordinary people are being forced to pay today and for many, they represent a tipping point. People were already struggling to pay sky-high energy costs before these latest price shocks. In December, nearly 320,000 households were in arrears on their electricity bills. That is hundreds of thousands of people all over the country who are already in crisis, for instance, elderly people sitting at home in freezing cold homes because their pensions simply do not stretch far enough, disabled people who are making choices between eating and heating, and parents of young children going into huge debt just to keep a roof over their heads. That was before Trump and Israel launched their illegal war on Iran causing carnage across the whole region and causing economic chaos across the globe. The Tánaiste has now said the Government is finalising an appropriate intervention to deal with those struggling with the surge in costs but we must wait until the next Cabinet meeting on Tuesday before that is signed off on. There is no clear indication yet of what those measures will be and exactly when they will be implemented. Where is the recognition of the huge pressure people all over the country are facing right now? Where is the urgency? The Tánaiste could act today, if he wanted to. The Tánaiste could clear the Dáil schedule and get this done, as he did when he had to appoint Ministers. The Tánaiste cleared the Dáil schedule to fill up his ranks. Will the Tánaiste not do it today on this? The Government may not have a plan to help people but the Social Democrats do. We need a targeted €400 energy credit, which can immediately be brought in and provided to 800,000 households who are struggling the most, and we need to cut excise duty to reduce prices and ensure the State is not profiting from this crisis. Can the Tánaiste tell people who are watching at home whether he will adopt our proposals and when exactly is he going to take action?

Sentiment score: -0.16

In December there were 320,000 households in arrears on their electricity bills. They need a targeted energy credit and the Tánaiste is saying he cannot do it because we are coming into summer. Is that for real? Then the Tánaiste is saying that he cannot predict the future. We are not asking him to predict the future. We are asking him to recognise the reality people are living in now and that things have been getting worse day after day, and he is delaying on this. Does the Tánaiste not recognise the difficulty individuals and households are in, in that they cannot heat their homes, cannot getting get their home-heating oil tank filled and that they are making decisions as to whether they can put the heating on or go to the supermarket to get the groceries? Does the he not recognise that and that every day he delays and every day he makes excuses is pushing people further and further into hardship and poverty? Will measures be brought in on Tuesday? Is the Tánaiste effectively ruling out an energy credit? Do I take that from the Tánaiste's comments? There will be measures brought in on Tuesday. What will those measures be? Will they help the 320,000 households already in electricity arrears? Will they be targeted? The Tánaiste has often said we need to have targeted measures. Will they be targeted at those who need them most? Will there be measures on the excise tax on petrol and diesel?

Sentiment score: 0.05

At least the Tánaiste knows that.

Sentiment score: 0.00