As a Cabra woman, I extend a particular welcome to all of the girls from Finglas - our neighbours. They are very welcome. Tá fáilte rompu go léir. We are already witnessing a surge in fuel prices in reaction to the US-Israeli onslaught in the Middle East. People across the country are reporting massive hikes in the cost of home heating oil, with prices having increased by as much as 35% in the past number of days. The cost of home heating oil was already high so people really cannot believe what they are seeing. This morning, I was contacted by a 94-year-old woman from Wexford who relies on home heating oil to keep her house warm. Only last week, the price for a half fill of oil from her provider was €464. By midday today, that had jumped to €879. That is almost double the price in just days. This extortionate hike puts this elderly woman under huge pressure but her options are either pay up or go cold. This woman is not alone. Yesterday, people spoke out on the radio about the price of home heating oil shooting up sharply in real time. Heating oil providers have jacked up their prices by hundreds of euro. This is blatant price-gouging and greed. It is a brazen rip-off, happening in plain sight. Of course, the price surge is also hitting motorists at the pumps. People are reporting increases as high as ten cent a litre since this onslaught began. Companies are clearly taking advantage of this crisis to squeeze even more profit from their customers. The Taoiseach is entirely passive on the matter. Yesterday, he said there was no excuse for price-gouging but it is not good enough to criticise price-gouging and then do absolutely nothing about it. By the way, writing a letter to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, and asking for a review of the energy market is really no action at all. It is a cop-out. The Taoiseach needs to pick up the phone and tell the top brass in these companies to stop fleecing people. The Government needs to drop its plan to increase carbon tax in the coming weeks, increases that will drive up the cost of home heating oil even further. Surely, the Taoiseach can now accept it is his job to step in and act with purpose to protect households from these hikes and stop this price gouging. Tá teaghlaigh cráite ag arduithe ollmhóra ar phraghas an ola teas tí. Tá price-gouging agus saint le feiceáil go soiléir ó chomhlachtaí. Caithfidh an Rialtas stop a chur leis an tsaill seo. The Taoiseach cannot do nothing as these price shocks hit home. For too long, the message from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to struggling households has been, "You are on your own". That has to change and change fast. People are under pressure. The Government needs to intervene to help. Will the Government scrap its plan to push up the price of home heating oil even further? Will the Taoiseach tell people today that he will not hike carbon taxes while they struggle to heat their homes? Will he outline what concrete, direct action he will take to end this rip-off and stop the price-gouging? He is left with a clear choice: he can take on these price-gouging companies or he can sit back and force households to take the pain. Which choice will the Taoiseach make?
Sentiment score: 0.01
The Taoiseach has talked about that for a long time.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil teaghlaigh faoi bhrú, ach tá sé soiléir freisin nach bhfuil an Rialtas ag déanamh aon rud - rud ar bith.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I just heard from the Taoiseach an exposition of the fact he is doing nothing. That has been a real subplot of the entire cost-of-living crisis. It is a Government that is hands off, stands back and just allows households to take the pain. Energy companies, supermarket chains and insurance companies are ripping people off and the Government does nothing to stop them. The Taoiseach talked again about another review. In the name of God, how many reviews is the Government going to do? It is probably, therefore, no surprise that this price-gouging has happened. Why would these companies not jack up their prices? They know they have nothing to fear from the Government. The Taoiseach says the price-gouging should not happen. Then the question is as to what is the Government going to do to stop it and the Taoiseach has no credible answer.
Sentiment score: -0.05
I have asked the Taoiseach to set aside the carbon tax increase. Will the Taoiseach do even that small gesture?
Sentiment score: 0.16
How will the Taoiseach tackle these companies which are ripping people off?
Sentiment score: 0.00
Did the Taoiseach hear my question?
Sentiment score: 0.00
Home heating oil.
Sentiment score: 0.00
For this woman, the price has doubled in days.
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Do I? The Taoiseach has a habit of looking for no reaction to my question.
Sentiment score: -0.15