Pa Daly
Kerry · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in to deal with this issue when other colleagues were not available. She will be able to bring her experience of this area to this debate. I am slightly caught for time, so I will try to parse it a little bit. I wish to ask the Minister of State about the harmful content on social media platforms.”
“While we know violence against women is a crisis and femicide in Ireland is a crisis, it is overwhelmingly men who carry out these acts. These are men of all cultures, races and ethnicities. However, social media giants have a responsibility and are clearly not stepping up to the plate. They are not complying with their obligations.”
“The Digital Services Act was introduced. It was to ensure a safe, predictable and trusted online environment and to prioritise greater activity and online safety. There is the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 to protect children and the public from harmful and illegal content. There is a danger.”
“We are running over time but I will make one more point. If, as it provides in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, we are to protect children and adults from online conduct, how does it look as an example to younger people in particular when this content is still allowed to be there?”
“Somebody even said that they hope these comments are not going to be deleted to suit one's ideology, which they misspelt. That is the kind of narrative that is going on. They are mocking her beliefs and her. It is similar to what is being investigated by the police in Britain.”
“Bhíos ag caint le healaíontóir i gCiarraí níos luaithe um thráthnóna. Labhair sé liom mar gheall ar na mothúcháin a bhaineann le AI. Dúirt sé liom it could help to generate ideas, layouts and content more quickly, leaving more time to focus on strategy and working with clients.”
The complete record
Every one of 864 lines we hold for Pa Daly, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 18.
“Research clearly demonstrates that early intervention vastly improves outcomes for children and can negate the need for a special education placement down the line. Ignoring these children until they reach school age is short-sighted and will exacerbate what is already a serious crisis. Will the Government prepare now to ensure extra spaces are available in classes for students in Kerry?”
“The Kerry TD and Minister Deputy Normal Foley said in response to a parliamentary question that the Government recognises the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities and ensuring they receive the right services at the right time. She went on to say that under the programme for Government, she and the Government were committed to ensuring that children and families who need early intervention and therapy can access that in a timely way. The key vehicle for change, according to the Minister, is the roadmap for service improvement for disability services. However, considering that this roadmap was supposedly to be implemented by 2026, does the Minister really believe the three to four places available for that school year are being delivered? It sounds more like lip service.”
“She was told by the principal that the school had the necessary space, staff and support but the Government refused to sanction it. This is an indictment of the continued failure of the Government to keep its word. If one compares these statistics with some of the ministerial replies that are on record, a different picture is painted. On 16 October, I received a reply to a parliamentary question that said that early-intervention classes are available in mainstream and special school settings for children aged three to five years with a diagnosis of autism. Does anybody believe that is the case?”
“Tipperary and Wexford have ten and 12 classes, respectively, with equivalent populations while Offaly, whose population is half that of Kerry, has nine classes. To add insult to injury, there are schools with the space and resources available to establish new classes but the Department of education has repeatedly ignored pleas from parents to give their children access to the education they deserve. I was contacted recently by the parent of a child who is being denied access to the education that he deserves. Despite his profound needs, and the recommendation from a SENO for a special class placement, there is no place in an early-intervention class available to him in the county. His mother tells me that it was proposed to open a third early-intervention class in Kerry in a school in Killarney. The school stepped forward to open it.”
“Despite four Government-supporting TDs representing the county, I recently learned through a reply to a parliamentary question that Kerry has one of the lowest numbers of early-intervention classes in the Twenty-six Counties. When one adjusts for population size, the outlook is even more bleak. There are just two classes available in the whole of the county and a total of six places for children in the whole year. However, because many children stay on for a second year, the actual number of new spaces is just three or four. In a county with a population of 160,000, this beggars belief. While the situation is dire the length and breadth of the country, there is no doubt that Kerry has been left behind. The Minister of State's own county of Cork has 22 classes. Mallow alone has three early-intervention classes.”
“The education of children with special needs is one of the most frustrating and distressing situations for parents in County Kerry. They look on and see potential and achievable progress denied. As one mother said to me, the early years system is broken and the lack of appropriate services will have lifelong impacts on her son. Everywhere we turn we see that services have huge waiting lists, a shortage of staff and a lack of resources. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Healy-Rae brothers are continuing to stand over a system that is broken. Children are being denied their basic right to an education and far too many of them are in Kerry. Specifically, I want to raise the issue of early intervention for preschool children with autism who should get a support teacher and an SNA.”
“Unity will create new opportunities, new prosperity, more employment, higher potential tax revenue and also cultural and social benefits. However, if we do not plan to get there, it is never going to happen. Hiding behind the excuse of having to deal with certain issues like legacy is not going to help us get anywhere. From an environmental point of view, just transition, the environment, renewable energy and proper public transport should be the cause of Ireland, just as the cause of Ireland should be the environment, climate and transport. Ireland is ecologically depleted compared with the rest of Europe. Through real unification, we can break with the liberal green agenda, look at the legacies of colonialism and neoliberalism and maximise our resources to ensure they are translated into national wealth for all.”
“Talking to a Portuguese man, he was confused that Norman Whiteside and Mickey Walsh never played together on the same team. There are other issues that do not make sense either. For example, the only port capable of handling offshore wind on this island is in Belfast, but it is being used to develop offshore wind in Britain rather than on this island. Canvassing in Irvinestown in the most recent Assembly election showed me that the issues are the same, North and South, namely housing, health, the cost of living, refuse and transport. Brexit and Covid showed that we need to plan for the future. In 2018, for the first time since records and surveys began, the North exported more goods to other countries than to Britain. We have an opportunity to tackle the issues and interests of all the people on the island.”
“Despite 100 years of partition, the ties that bind us together remain strong. Many of us have family ties across the Border, such as my family ties in Enniskillen, Belleek and Derry. Those cousins are just as Irish as I am. Some 20,000 to 30,000 people cross the Border every day to work. When my club, Na Gaeil, plays in the latter stages of the all-Ireland club championship, we have to deal with the challenges of teams from both sides of the Border in Ulster. Politically, we also have to combat the lines that the Irish State cannot afford the North or that a united Ireland is not economically viable. Watching the football matches last week, I could not help imagining the impetus, promise and hope that a united team could bring.”
“That should have been the end of it. Gillian Sherratt said it best: you failed upwards and it is about justice, accountability and the truth. I hope all Kerry TDs will oppose the motion.”
“She said that they are allergic to accountability and as a result, things continue to get worse because nothing ever changes. Pam asked me to ask everybody here how they would feel if the only hope their child had of receiving life-saving treatment was to force the Government's hand by posting pictures online? Pam said she still finds it hard to live with the fact that she was forced to do this. I hope you will agree she had no choice. After all, the first time she was ever contacted after years of reaching out was the night before the first failed surgery which finally took place a lot longer than the maximum four months that had been promised it would take. Finally, Pam asked me to say there was no more room for cynicism for the eighth, ninth or even tenth chance. There was a similar vote of no confidence in 2019.”
“His tendons have shortened, he continues to suffer with adult acid reflux and his hands will be locked inward for life. Speaking to his mother, Pam Dennehy, she said it was like being forced to watch your child die right before her eyes in a country that is supposed to have a health system that works but all around her, all she can see is failure - from no disability services to this Government's treatment of carers to the lack of early intervention classes in Kerry, in that it only has two for the whole county while a town like Mallow has three and Cork has 22. Those who need support and treatment the most are being totally overlooked and continuously failed. Pam said she was sickened by the fact that those in government who should be held accountable refused to take any responsibility.”
“It is all too common for the many children and their families in Ireland suffering with scoliosis and spina bifida. Daniel Collins from Tralee is another child forced to wait years for urgent treatment. He was born with a number of disabilities which require extensive 24-7 care. In 2023, he was diagnosed with scoliosis. It was flagged as requiring urgent care but he did not receive surgery until June this year. One of the most distressing elements of his case is how familiar it sounds. He was waiting so long that his curve went from 22 degrees to 79 degrees to over 90 degrees. Liam Dennehy from Killarney also faced the same wait. He was left to wait so long that even after surgery he will be left with a 35 degree curve for life.”
“Almost a decade ago, the Tánaiste pledged that no child would wait more than four months for spinal surgery. Eight years later, nine year old Harvey Morrison Sherratt died after waiting years for a procedure that could have saved his life. The curve in his spine went from 75 degrees to 130 degrees. By the time Harvey received spinal surgery, the curve had reached the point where it could not be fully corrected, causing his rib cage to twist around his lungs and heart, restricting his breathing and he lost his life - a life for which he and his parents had battled so long and hard. His story demands accountability and it demands justice. His story of years of immense suffering and pain, of being ignored and sidelined, is not an isolated one.”
“Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur mar gheall ar aonad oinceolaíochta san ospidéal i dTrá Lí. The continued failure to provide and deliver a stand-alone oncology and haematology unit at University Hospital Kerry is totally unacceptable. Patients and families in County Kerry deserve the highest standards of care. The minimum they should get is oncology services that are at least the equivalent of those in other counties, with chemotherapy, immunotherapy and compacting. I was informed in response to a parliamentary question that €10 million was committed in 2022 to be ready in 2026. However, it appears the project is in limbo until a response is received from HSE Estates. A stand-alone unit is essential. Is the Government going to deliver fairness and equality for cancer patients in Kerry?”
“The sale of each of those houses collapsed and did not go through. I do not see the urgency coming from the Government. What I outlined in respect of social housing in west Kerry is totally unacceptable. It takes Kerry County Council longer to turn around social housing than anywhere else in the country. Funding, it says, is not there. The Taoiseach at one stage called that a cop-out on the part of Kerry County Council, but that is not the case when the leadership is not coming from the top and the waiting list is as long as ten years. It is outrageous that properties are spending 14 months on the list.”
“People also become homeless in Dingle, Kenmare and Cahersiveen. People who have had a relationship break-up and do not have a house to go to are all being sent an hour up or down the road to the major towns in the county. It is unfair on those people that there is no provision. Last week, I spoke to someone who works in Kerry County Council. In the whole of west Kerry, not one three-bedroom house has become available to those waiting on the social housing last in the past two years. We need urgent measures now to address the root causes of the crisis in housing and homelessness. One property was delivered through the tenant in situ scheme last year. Four other people were waiting. They were all extremely vulnerable people for whom specific provision had been made to address their needs.”
“It is difficult to sit in a constituency office when people are coming, time and again, in desperate situations, seeking housing, and you have to tell them that you will make the representation without any real prospect of being able to deliver a house or give them hope of obtaining a house unless they spend a decade on the approved social housing list. This do-nothing Government is out of touch. Otherwise, it could not justify the skyrocketing rents the length and breadth of the county. Rents are up 60% in Kerry. Time after time, we hear of landlords who have doubled the rent or put it up by 60% of 80%. Rents have increased from €1,000 per month to €1,500 per month. People are being made homeless. Kerry urgently needs proper homeless services in places other than Tralee and Killarney.”
“The facts are stark. No matter where you turn, the situation is not improving and is, in fact, deteriorating. Housing supply is plummeting and prices have jumped by 36% in the past four years. In some areas, the increase has been as high as 50%. In Kerry, a house that cost €200,000 in 2021 will now set you back approximately €280,000. The average wage of constituents has not increased. In fact, thanks to the Government's budget package last week, real wages will be going down. How are ordinary people supposed to afford to buy a house when average house prices are now eight times higher, on average, than earnings? It is no wonder that so many people feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel.”
“The devastating consequences of the housing crisis have seeped into almost every aspect of our lives and are wreaking havoc in almost all aspects of our economy and society. No community has escaped its clutches and barely a family has not felt the brunt of its force. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have proved time and again that they are incapable of turning things around. In fact, the only thing they seem capable of is making things worse. In 2012, small apartments were available to buy in Tralee town centre for €45,000. It was contrary to Government policy at the time to buy such apartments. The town councils were abolished shortly thereafter, which made things worse. We have still not recovered. The population of the whole of the county is now concentrated in the major towns, which has serious consequences that I will talk about shortly.”
“It is fine having it on the Dublin to Cork service, which is a two-and-a-half hour journey, and on the Belfast service, which we have used ourselves, but what about the rest of the country?”
“What is wrong with employing someone to sell a packet of crisps or some water? This suspension of services was only supposed to be a temporary measure during Covid. As we know, passenger numbers have increased. The service is continuing without any catering. It was not meant to be the new normal. I cannot understand how the mentality is fixed in their brains that they cannot directly employ someone and make them an employee of Iarnród Éireann. I am not even talking about providing hot food but they could provide a cup of tea or a bottle of water. This surely should not be too hard to establish. It would not cost a seven-figure sum to employ people such as this on all of the services throughout the country.”
“There are many elderly customers on their way to meet consultants in Dublin or going to medical appointments. They do not have a cup of water on the journey for four hours. Promises have been made and nothing has been done.”
“I agree that we have raised this issue previously. In fact, back in February we received a reply that the tendering process had been progressed and was at an advanced stage with costings established, and that it was with the NTA for funding. Is there any need to outsource it to a company that will charge a seven-figure amount? When I was a student and after that, Iarnród Éireann directly employed people in its catering section to sell the items in question. We are speaking about trains going from Sligo and Mayo to Dublin and the Tralee service, which is probably the longest journey in the country at four hours. People are forced to make these long journeys with no access to catering. They cannot wait until they arrive at Heuston Station.”
“The Minister mentioned he was in Heuston Station this morning. I saw him there with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. He may have noticed the 7 a.m. train from Tralee, which came in shortly before he arrived without any catering service on it. We would think between the lot of the Ministers who were down there that they might be able to sort it out. I do not want to be flippant but after I raised this on the previous occasion someone wrote to me in verse: Will you ask the Minister for Transport what does he think? Four hours is a long time without something to drink.”
“We need an affordable, sustainable and reliable public transport system across every village, town and city on the island if we are serious about a modal shift and reducing our transport emissions.”
“According to reports, the Government is set to hike public transport fees in this year's budget. We have heard that there is a €250 million funding gap and, as a result, commuters who are already crippled by rising rents and the cost of living are going to face fare hikes. I want the Minister to commit to retaining the reductions in public transport fares as part of this year's budget. Earlier this year we were warned by officials in the Department of public expenditure that key infrastructure projects would not be delivered without increasing fares, but now we hear that services will be cut also. If the Government is trying to reduce carbon emissions and get people onto public transport, it cannot hike up the fares in this year's budget.”
“The only thing that has changed over the years is the spiralling cost, which is now probably up to €23 billion. That is an astronomical amount of money. While an investment of €2 billion is substantial, it barely scratches the surface. Will the Government identify and deliver key projects? Will the commitments made in budget 2026 be part of that process?”
“As the Minister said, it is about delivery at this stage. All the projects he mentioned are projects that were previously announced. The NDP review did not bring anything new to the table. It was also scant on any real substance or detail. Most of the projects were on the books for years and some of them, like MetroLink, for decades. MetroLink, on the books for decades, is the only transport project the NDP review mentions. The Government is talking about new announcements but the people do not want announcements; they want project deliveries to happen across the island rather than being concentrated in Dublin. How many times has MetroLink been pushed out as an example of Government ambition when we have yet to break ground on it and there is still no plan to do so?”
“What does the Minister plan to do to address the critical infrastructural deficits that cripple Ireland's transport networks the length and breadth of the State? What is he doing to address the fact the national development plan includes concrete measures only for the Dublin MetroLink, a project that has been in the pipeline for decades? The feeling is that he is leaving rural Ireland behind. What efforts will he make to ensure there is balanced regional development rather than referencing only one project in the NDP, which is the MetroLink in Dublin?”
“Does the Minister believe that is the case and that the Garda had no information? If so, will he talk to his colleagues in government in relation to it? The email, I am told, was acknowledged at the time.”
“I have raised this issue before. As the Minister has said this evening and on the previous occasion, under Irish air navigation law, the carriage of munitions is prohibited on any civil aircraft and failure to comply carries up to three years' imprisonment. The operators of these flights seem to think the Government has zero intention of upholding the law, unlike the Belgian Government, which opened a criminal investigation following the reporting of it. Why is the Government not doing the same? Seven months in such a serious situation is far too long. What is the Minister's view of what the then Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said to the public accounts committee when the issue was brought up? He said the Garda was not made aware of these flights and that it had no information that could lead to checks on the airline involved.”
“Will he commit to publishing it or give us a reason for refusing to publish it? Will we be here again in seven months or seven years demanding answers from a Government that is still not publishing it? There is a perception, of which I think the Minister is aware, that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been turning a blind eye to some of the most egregious crimes against humanity. I would also like to express my solidarity with the humanitarian fleet of 500 civilians, including our own Senator Andrews and 20 other Irish citizens. They are doing what the Government has refused to do while Israel is acting with impunity and attacking the ships with drones. In the past, it has attacked ships like them. There is a carnival of distraction by Israel from what it has been carrying out - the genocide - on which we all agree.”
“I am seeking an update on the Department's investigation into overflights of munitions to Israel? Will the Minister commit to upholding Irish law under the Air Navigation Act and to concrete actions to stop Israel transporting weaponry and munitions it is using to commit war crimes in Palestine?”
“Our wastewater infrastructure should frankly be a source of deep shame for this Government. Apart from the fact infrastructure is in a poor state, half of all licensed treatment plants consistently fail to meet the standards. If this Bill is going to weaken environmental standards, the problems could get worse. The reform is necessary but it must be done correctly and we must put in place safeguards to protect transparency, public participation and the environment.”
“Too often, communities are stonewalled and ignored and we need to ensure accountability for missed deadlines. What happens, for example, if they are missed? As regards changes related to emergency licensing and partial licensing, the criteria for qualification must be of a high standard. Ireland's biodiversity is the beating heart of our economy and society and must be protected while ensuring that critical infrastructure is delivered. There is no point in reforming the rules unless they are going to be upheld. There is an enforcement issue. Many licensed facilities already fail to meet their licensing conditions. A total of 884 non-compliances were recorded for 272 sites in the first half of this year. The problems are bad in certain areas, including food and drink, non-hazardous waste and intensive agriculture.”
“Rigorous regulation must be upheld; we will not solve this by creating loopholes or skipping essential steps. To get into the detail of the Bill, the introduction of the mandatory timelines is welcome and should increase certainty, reduce risk and make a more attractive investment environment. A number of unanswered questions remain, and must be addressed. First, regarding the exemptions for environmental impact assessments, more clarity is needed on just what exactly constitutes an exceptional circumstance. These exemptions must not weaken environmental safeguards. It is also essential that public engagement and transparency is not taken for granted. The principle of democratic oversight must be upheld. While the Bill requires public notification for EIA exemptions, critics say this may not ensure meaningful public participation.”
“Ireland ranked bottom of the EU table for renewable energy in 2022, with 13% of energy consumption from renewables. Sweden, by contrast, hit 66%. State-owned energy companies from Norway and France own more of our offshore energy resources than we do. Ireland has to pick up the pace. This is not just a failure of policy; it is a failure of ambition. We need decisive action to remove the bottlenecks stalling our green energy revolution, including the EPA licensing processes which have been marred by delays, bureaucracy and a lack of resourcing. The consequences of this are generating a riskier environment for investment, hampering sustainability and threatening energy security. The reforms, however, have to be right. The defence of our environment and nature must be prioritised and the public must continue to have their voice heard.”
“We have the most expensive electricity in the EU. We used to have the cheapest but our publicly owned infrastructure was sold off to the highest bidder. The systematic sell-off of our assets was presented as an EU requirement and as a means to deliver more affordable energy, neither of which were true. Households paid nearly €1,800 a year, 30% more than the EU average, and that is €500 less in people's pockets when they are already crippled by skyrocketing costs such as rent and groceries. One of the reasons for this is Ireland's overdependence on imported energy. A total of 80% of our final energy demand is imported and this leaves us dangerously exposed to the international energy market and geopolitical instability. In 2023, only 15% of our total energy consumption came from renewables, compared to an EU average of 25%.”
“We face a climate crisis and a cost-of-living crisis and the solutions to both are inextricably linked. If this Government is serious about solving these crises, it must show urgency and determination in the delivery of renewable energy driven by the common good. As a Minister recently said, the Government has been sitting on its hands and navel-gazing for far too long. Tackling the delays in EPA licensing in one area is an area where this Government must take action but as with all legislation, the devil is in the detail and the reforms must be held up to scrutiny. Just last week, Sinn Féin introduced a motion to the Dáil which highlighted the links between Ireland's creaking energy infrastructure, the slow pace of our transition to renewables and the extortionate energy bills for workers and families.”
“I thank the Chair for the opportunity to speak on the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025, which deals with the EPA licensing system. Like many other systems, it is facing many problems, not least the long delays for many applicants. This poses a threat to the protection of the environment and erects barriers to the delivery of critical infrastructure. Sinn Féin is committed to Ireland's green energy revolution. With the correct political will and ambition, Ireland can transform from a net energy importer to a net energy exporter but we must seize the incredible opportunity rather than waste it, which has been done for many years. This is not just about the climate; it is about the extortionate cost of energy in this country.”
“As many contributors have pointed out tonight, this is a political choice but does the Minister of State know what is regrettable, given that the amendment talks about how regrettable the network charge rise is? Households are expected to shoulder a disproportionate burden while data centres do not have to pay their fair share. It is time for the Minister of State to stand up. Ordinary people are stretched way beyond their means. They need more than this. The Government must stop rolling out the red carpet for data centres. They must not be allowed to drive up energy prices any further. Ordinary people must be protected and energy affordability has to be the priority for the Government rather than an afterthought. It is time to end the rip-off.”
“That does not sound like urgency to me with the winter coming in and the price hikes we have seen. The task force members' predecessors had a steering group. It achieved nothing. Ordinary people do not need another round of talking shops. They need action and urgency. The amendment claims that electricity and gas prices have historically been higher here than in other EU states. That is not the case. It implies that we have no choice but to accept energy bills that outstrip our neighbours by over €500. Ireland used to have the lowest electricity prices in Europe. Following the disastrous decision to completely liberalise the Irish energy market, we now have some of the highest electricity prices.”
“Judging by the amendment, the Government seems to think it is inevitable that Ireland will have the highest electricity prices in Europe and that households will simply just have to grin and bear it. With one in five children living in poverty, it is totally unacceptable but the problem is not intractable. It is a matter of political choice. Sinn Féin's proposals provided the Government with the answers but it is clear that it is not prepared to listen. The energy task force that has been referenced is nothing more than a smokescreen for the fact that the Government does not have a plan or even the intention to end the rip-off for good. It was stated that the task force, which was set up in June, was not finalising a report but was instead working to finalise the preparation of an interim report.”
“The response of the Government in this amendment is vague in places and downright inaccurate in others. The amendment is an insult to the millions of ordinary workers and families who are bracing for another round of energy hikes and to the hundreds of thousands of households that are falling further behind on their energy bills with each passing month and many more who are barely scraping by. I am disappointed but not surprised that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry-led regional Independents are choosing to prioritise the profits of energy companies and the demand of data centres over the needs of workers and families. Ordinary people are being fleeced by the energy companies while the Government stands idly by.”
“They dismissed our calls to overhaul the Government’s regressive approach to network charges and the public service obligation, PSO, levy in order that data centres would pay a fair share. Not only have they totally failed to accelerate the renewable transition at the pace required but they continue to prioritise the private interests of corporate developers overseas over the interests of people on the island. It does not have to be this way. The Government has shown whose needs it is going to prioritise and who it will protect. It is not ordinary people. Enough is enough. The Government must adopt Sinn Féin’s proposals in order that energy companies are held to account.”
“These are political choices to prioritise the profit of energy companies and the energy demand of data centres over the needs of ordinary people who are just trying to keep the lights on and stay warm. It is the Government’s inaction, its paralysis in the face of rampant profiteering, which is to blame. The latest task force is nothing more than a smokescreen for the fact that the Government is determined to continue with more of the same. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have repeatedly ignored, pushed back against or rejected Sinn Féin’s proposals to get prices under control. They disregarded our measures to strengthen the power of the regulator to rein in the energy companies, which have been running roughshod over ordinary people for far too long.”
“The energy regulator has warned that eliminating them is likely to lead to even further spikes and more people in debt, at risk of poverty and in a state of continual anxiety. Ireland already has the highest electricity prices in Europe. Ordinary people are being absolutely fleeced by energy companies. Are things not bad enough? It is unbelievable that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Healy-Raes and the Lowry-led regional Independents would chose this moment to make the situation even worse. This is another example of a Government that is completely out of touch. Ireland’s crippling energy prices are not inevitable. The Government does not have to turn a blind eye to the rampant profiteering and price-gouging by energy companies. It does not have to further entrench the deep unfairness at the heart of Ireland’s energy market.”
“Ireland’s cost-of-living crisis is causing workers and families the length and breadth of the country to be hammered by soaring prices. If it is not rents, student fees or voluntary contributions, it is energy bills. Households are bracing for a round of energy price hikes just as the Government is choosing to withdraw energy credits. Energia, Flogas, Bord Gáis Energy, Pinergy and SSE Airtricity have recently announced double-digit increases at a time when many of them are posting huge profits. Some 750,000 households will be forced to pay hundreds more euro, money which they simply do not have. The level of arrears is at record levels. Some 300,000 people are in debt on their electricity bills, while the number of people who cannot pay gas bills has soared to 183,000. That is even with electricity credits in place.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — Irish energy prices are amongst the highest in Europe leading to an extra €500 on household bills and is a leading factor in Ireland's cost-of-living crisis; — the number of households in arrears are at their highest level since records began with 300,000 households in arrears on their electricity bills and 185,000 households in arrears on their gas bills, while many more are just about able to keep up with their bills but are under real pressure; — electricity prices are the highest in Europe and gas prices are the 5th highest; — wholesale electricity prices have fallen 75 per cent since their 2022 peak yet retail prices remain 70 per cent above 2022 levels; — household bills have fallen much slower in Ireland than other European Union (EU) countries following decreases in wholesale prices; — many energy suppliers have recently increased energy prices despite the sector boasting substantial operating profits; — the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has warned that without energy credits and Government action to lower people's bills there will be a spike in the number of people pushed into arrears; — the Government is committed to five regressive carbon tax increases that will hike more cost on people that need to heat their homes with oil and gas; and — energy poverty is at record levels with one in three struggling to access this basic necessity; further notes that: — the CRU does not have the mandate or powers to regulate the hedging strategies of energy companies or the standing charges they place on household bills; — data centres consume around 25 per cent of Ireland's electricity, and this is expected to rise to 30 per cent by 2030 consuming the equivalent of over two million homes; — according to senior Government officials' data centre energy demand is leading to higher energy bills for households and could jeopardise our ability to deliver new homes; — network costs in Ireland are the highest in Europe with a disproportionate burden placed on households, especially lower income households; — the draft decision for Price Review Six (PR6) proposes to increase network costs on households and to decrease them for data centres; — the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy which is used to fund the renewable transition is also structured and distributed regressively; and — Ireland imports 80 per cent of the energy we consume leaving energy bills excessively exposed to market fluctuations and geopolitical matters, often placing upward pressure on household bills; regrets: — the Government's continued position that they will not continue electricity credits this winter despite the fact that prices have failed to fall to levels in advance of when they were first introduced in 2022; and — the excessive liberalisation of the Irish energy market whereby our State-owned energy producer and supplier went from owning 96 per cent of capacity in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2024, which coincided with Irish electricity prices going from the lowest in the EU to the highest; and calls on the Government to: — introduce three electricity credits valued at €150 each, totalling €450 to ease the enormous burden on households; — reverse the carbon tax increase introduced by the Government in 2025, and ensure no further increase to the carbon tax next year, including gas and home heating oil; — strengthen the mandate and powers of the CRU to hold energy companies to account, prioritise energy affordability and enhance transparency in the energy market; — ensure oversight of hedging practices to protect against price gouging and profiteering; — regulate standing charges to keep locked in prices lower; — sanction anti-competitive behaviour to ensure the proper functioning of the market; — mandate profit reporting to the CRU on operations in the State by all large energy companies; — reduce the cost on households from the regressive PSO levy and network charges by making sure large companies pay their fair share by implementing a fair funding model; — ensure that the draft decision of PR6 is not implemented in its current form; — end Ireland's over-dependence on energy imports and deliver Irish energy independence; and — increase public ownership of Ireland's energy supply and operation in order to ensure natural resources are directed toward the generation of national wealth rather than private gain.”