142. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the work of the national energy affordability task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14498/26]

Sentiment score: 0.17

Will the Minister provide an update on the work of the national energy affordability task force? The Irish SME Association, ISME, has published the results of its latest members' survey, identifying the priority issues facing SMEs this year and showing that business costs overwhelmingly dominate their concerns. Some 78% of respondents said that these concerns include energy and other overheads, all of which ISME rightly notes have been subject to sustained and significant inflation in recent years. Alarmingly, ISME also notes that despite easing inflation in some areas of the wider economy, these structural business costs have not moderated. What is the Government doing to address this issue for consumers and small businesses in Offaly?

Sentiment score: -0.04

I thank the Minister for his response. The fact is that, while some supports were given to small businesses and consumers in general, to date, very little has been achieved in tackling the source of the great energy price rip-off that continues day in and day out for households and small businesses, many of which in my constituency have closed due to energy costs. The capacity to absorb these energy costs is just not there, as ISME has identified. The costs impact everyone from the owners of pubs and retail stores to the hairdressers and the farmers. This is why I can only agree with ISME on its statement that "the survey findings underline the need for Government to focus on structural cost competitiveness in 2026, rather than layering additional obligations onto small businesses already operating on tight margins." The profiteering that has gone on is simply scandalous. Perhaps we need to adopt the equivalent of the unfair trading practices directive and the approach of the Agri-Food Regulator so that we can see exactly how these obscene energy prices are calculated and why Irish consumers and businesses are so slow to see any meaningful reduction in their energy bills when wholesale gas prices reduce.

Sentiment score: 0.15

The Minister mentioned tax credits. While the energy tax credits were welcome, they let the energy companies off the hook. I called for the energy companies to be brought in here a number of times. The profiteering was scandalous. We were seeing businesses really grappling with costs. A long-term solution is needed. I hope this task force will produce proper practical solutions to get to grips with this issue once and for all and to send a message to the energy companies that their ongoing profiteering is not acceptable. Government needs to send that message. A report on wind energy was published this week. It stated that energy generation costs for the State are over €1.5 billion. Again, where are households and businesses seeing the benefits of this trickling down? Small businesses are trying to operate on thin margins while being bound within an energy-cost straitjacket that is making it harder and harder to sustain financial viability. I am concerned about rural jobs in my own constituency of Offaly. We must do everything we can to protect jobs.

Sentiment score: 0.21