Just Transition
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-18
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Timmy Dooley (FF), Clare

Deputy Cronin highlighted the significant cost of energy and the impact it is having on households. We have certainly seen that. The Government has taken action, as the Deputy will be aware, by increasing the fuel allowance from the beginning of the year. We reduced the VAT, which is a help in addressing the burden, but we have to get to the core cost.
I answered a question earlier about the efforts that have to be made in terms of the wholesale energy markets and the price of gas. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, on the direction of the Minister, is carrying out an investigation to establish whether there are issues with the market and whether there is potential for failures in the market. The International Energy Agency, IEA, indicated that the difference between the wholesale and retail cost is considerable and widening, particularly in the gas market and that sets energy prices generally. We are therefore looking at it from that perspective. However, the long-term approach is to try to ensure we move away from fossil fuels altogether and reduce the amount of energy needed in homes. I have already outlined the kind of approach we are taking to ensure people who are not in a position to do that upgrade get the State's support.
I thank Deputy McGrath for his comments. It is twofold. It is about having people in healthier, warmer homes that are less dependent on fossil fuels or even on renewable energy. If we can make the homes lose less energy, they will use less electricity and there will be less cost regardless of whether the energy is clean or otherwise. That is why the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, takes the view that this can be done incrementally and we can make progress. It cannot be that people have to do everything at once, because that is a turn-off for people financially. When they get to other side, having paid their mortgage, they often do not want to take on more debt so we will continue with that.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:29+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-18