Energy Prices
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-17
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Darragh O'Brien (FF), Dublin Fingal East

I turn first to Deputy Daly and the area of potential windfall taxes on energy companies. That is something being discussed at EU-wide level. It was discussed in Brussels when I was there earlier this month. If there is an approach on that it will probably be a pan-European approach. The Taoiseach referred to it yesterday. The last time, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, approximately €200 million was collected. It is not going to move the dial on energy bills, but it might give the State more in its armoury to make permanent changes to households such as acceleration of solar and things we are doing already.
I turn to Deputy Healy-Rae. I will answer the other one, but the scheme I am responsible for is the road transport support scheme, which is for the hauliers. There were more than 4,000 applications. More than 3,000 have been paid out already. We are working through the rest of them and there will be an appeals process once that scheme closes. Agricultural contractors were included in the original scheme managed by the Department and the Minister for agriculture. However, the Deputy is correct to say that the Government did agree on a scheme in relation to construction vehicles. That is being worked through at the moment. Again, that does not fall directly under my remit but as a member of Government, it is a Government decision that has been made. What we have been and are working to now over the coming few weeks are the measures we can take in the budget. One is about permanent changes and the second is on supports and what can be done there. We have to focus it on those who need it most. More than a quarter of Irish households receive direct fuel support payments. It is unquestionably a difficult time across the world with regard to elevated prices. We will do our best, but we are not going to be able to deal with every single cost increase.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-17