Longford-Westmeath TD calls for Government to end our rip-off energy costs

A Longford-Westmeath TD has called on the government to support an opposition party's proposals to end the rip-off and get energy costs under control.

Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke, who was speaking today as the party published the party’s Dáil motion to put an end to Ireland’s rip-off energy costs.

She hit out at Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for what she described as their 'decades of inaction and failure to take on energy companies'.

Deputy Clarke said: “It is time to hold energy companies to account, protect ordinary people and end the rip-off for good.

“Over the last few weeks, Energia, Flogas, Bord Gáis Energy and SSE Airtricity have all announced double-digit increases in the cost of energy.

“This is another bodyblow to households already crippled with the cost of living.

“Workers and families are being hammered with soaring prices at every turn. Now they are being forced to fork out hundreds of additional euros on their bills.

“These latest price hikes will impact millions of people. Hundreds of thousands of households are already in debt on their bills, and many more are barely scraping by.

“Ireland already has the highest electricity prices in Europe. At a time when the cost of living has never been higher, it is unbelievable that government would choose to make this worse.

“Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry group have chosen to rip away supports and withdraw electricity credits at a time when the energy companies are fleecing people yet again.

“They are also choosing to let rampant profiteering and gouging go unchecked.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. These rip-off prices are not inevitable. This is a crisis that can be solved.

“For years, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have chosen to ignore and push back Sinn Féin's proposals to tackle this issue head on.

“Instead they have chosen to prioritise the profits of energy companies, and data centres over ordinary people who are just trying to keep the lights on and stay warm.

“They have done nothing to hold these energy companies to account. Enough is enough.

“Sinn Féin’s proposals would reform the energy market so that it serves the public good rather than private profit.

“Our measures include legislation to increase the power and mandate of the energy regulator to hold suppliers to account.

"We would overhaul the regressive way the PSO levy and network charges are structured.

“It is not right that ordinary households face a disproportionate burden while large energy users are not expected to pay their fair share.

“We would also provide the investment needed so that not only is the renewable transition expanded and accelerated, we would also ensure that public ownership is prioritised.

“Achieving Irish energy independence should primarily benefit the people of this island, not corporate developers overseas.

“Ireland’s energy rip-off is the result of political choices by this government. They have shown us whose needs they are going to prioritise and who they are going to protect – and it is not ordinary people.

“I am calling on Peter Burke, Robert Troy, Micheal Carrigy and Kevin Boxer Moran to step up to the plate and adopt Sinn Féin’s proposals, and support struggling households.”

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