There were 35 energy price increases last year alone. We know the price rises are stark. We can see, for example, that Bord Gáis has increased its price by 82% since October 2020 and its electricity price has gone up by 72%, increasing the average energy bill by €1,313. The increases are massive. We understand the driving forces behind this: the price of fossil fuels, the energy spike in the wholesale market last year, several power plants being out of action due to low wind at the time, and the war in Ukraine, but…

In March, the European Commission issued a communication to all member states in addressing the energy crisis. Part of that, as the Minister of State may be aware, included the introduction of a windfall tax on energy producers and suppliers. This was echoed by the International Energy Agency, IEA, which warned that, given today's market design, high gas prices in Europe feed through to the wholesale energy markets in ways that can lead to windfall profits for companies. The IEA warned that current wholesale energy…

Last night, the Minister of State and his colleagues voted on a Sinn Féin amendment that would have removed excise duty from home heating oil on a temporary basis. He and his colleagues in the Government voted against it. It was a major mistake. Removing excise duty from home heating oil would have reduced the cost of a tank fill by more than €100 and cost less than €74 million were it removed until October. The Government's refusal to do so was ideological and nothing else. Will the Government reconsider and commi…

The Minister of State might be aware that he and some of his colleagues are involved in a deliberate campaign of misinformation. Indeed, it is right out of the Trump playbook. Fine Gael representatives online, on radio and on television have all claimed no excise duty applies to home heating oil. I suspect this was done to distract households who use home heating oil, and those who are struggling with the price increases they have seen, from Government inaction. It is untrue. Excise duty is applied to home heating …

The price of home heating oil is the single largest increase on goods and services in this State in the past year. That is what is happening. With that information, the wise men and women in Government have said, "You know what we should do? We should increase it further on Sunday. Let us put another €20 on the cost of filling your tank on those hard-pressed workers and families." I am making the point that the Government has the ability under EU law, with no restrictions whatsoever, to reduce the cost of filling a…

It is actually a year this week since the Judicial Council guidelines came into effect. Awards have dropped dramatically but premiums have not. Even in motor insurance, they have not dropped to the level that we expected or, indeed, that the industry told us to expect. We are not seeing the reductions to business and community groups. It is a year on. We have been told to wait and see how it works. It is now time to get behind my legislation. The Government has stalled it for nine months. It will be before the comm…

It should be 20% but it is not happening.

I apologise a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, but has Deputy Mairéad Farrell been in contact about my taking her question for her?

The writing is on the wall here. We can all see it. That is why I have asked the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach to carry out a piece of work on this. We have issued detailed questionnaires to all the banks. All of them have responded, bar KBC Bank, but we will get its response soon, and we have engaged with the Central Bank on this. There will be a big, big problem here. There are 1 million accounts being closed over the next short period. The banks that are closing just wa…

This question relates to the willingness of the Government to introduce further targeted measures to support lower- and middle-income families in response to the high levels of inflation that are projected for 2022 and if he will make a statement on the matter. We are looking for further measures. I am sure the Minister of State's script will include references to everything the Government has done but as he has heard from everybody on the front line, it is not enough.

The Minister of State made the point that not every part of inflation can be offset by the Government and I recognise that. We have made that point over and over again. Not everybody can be insulated from the effects of inflation. However, a government should make sure the most vulnerable in society are protected first and protected the most. I put it to the Minister of State that the Government is washing its hands of the poorest in society and those who have the lowest incomes, particularly those who are dependen…

I am not sure if the Minister of State does not get it. I do not know if he does not care or if the Government does not care. I do not want to personalise this criticism to the Minister of State. It must be accepted across the political divide that those who are most in need are those who are on low incomes and those who are on social welfare fixed incomes. The Government has not responded by increasing core social welfare payments. That means the decision that has been made by the Government, with which it is sati…

Tá géarchéim costas maireachtála ar fud na tíre. Tá billí fuinnimh ag dul in airde agus ag cur fíor-bhrú ar oibrithe agus ar theaghlaigh ar fud an Stáit. Aréir, vótáil an Rialtas in éadan moladh de chuid Shinn Féin a thabharfadh faoiseamh dáiríre do theaghlaigh trí chostas ola teasa baile a laghdú agus cosc a chur ar an gcáin charbóin a mhéadú ón tseachtain seo chugainn. Mar pháirt den mholadh a chuir muid chun tosaigh, d’iarr muid ar an Rialtas deireadh a chur leis an gcosc atá molta ag an Aire é féin ar dhíol món…

We voted against the Government amendment.

We voted against the amendment.

Of course. Yes, we do.

We are not going to increase it. It is clear.

We will not increase it.

Answer the question about turf.

There is no carbon tax on turf. Answer the question about turf.