“The government has to accept that since it closed down Lanesborough and Shannonbridge power stations in the middle of the country, electricity has increased every whole day.”
That is the belief of Danny Healy-Rae, Independent TD, who spoke during a debate in response to a motion on domestic electricity and gas disconnections that Sinn Féin brought forward earlier this week.
He said the cost of generating electricity had “gone up so much” that we were all resigned to the fact that we “would have to pay more”.
“But what do we find,” he asked the Dáil chamber before he added that “electricity companies are doubling and tripling their profits”.
“There is no account of the energy regulator, or the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who is in charge of the energy regulator. There is no account of anyone.”
“The people are being blackguarded, and the government does not mind because it is taking more tax and VAT from the exorbitant bills people receive.”
He continued by saying: “Perhaps, Europe will let us introduce a windfall tax or whatever, but the government is only codding or trying to cod the people.”
Home heating oil and diesel prices
Healy-Rae stressed that electricity companies are doubling and tripling their profits at a time when the government will “do nothing about it” while also, there is “no account” of the energy regulator.
“Today, home heating oil costs €1.50/L. How are poor people going to heat their houses while the minister is trying to stop people from cutting turf?”
“Many people cut their turf, and I am glad tonight – it is a bad night – that they are looking into their fires at home in Kerry.”
He added that “diesel is over €2.05/L, and again, the government will do nothing about it”.
Then he said that the price of a barrel of oil is less today than it was four years ago but questioned where profits are going.
He concluded by saying that “they are going into the government’s coffers, and the people are being blackguarded”.
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