Darren O’Rourke, has slammed the government as figures show the number of people in energy arrears has hit an all-time high of over 300,000. Teachta O’Rourke said: “New figures obtained by Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan show a record 301,379 households are in energy arrears, the highest number ever recorded.
“On top of this, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is preparing to hike the network costs that you have to pay, but to cut them for data centres. “The same data centres are hoarding more and more of the energy we produce, stalling the delivery of badly needed homes, and putting our grid under real pressure.
“Big energy companies like Flogas, are intent on continuing to jack up their energy prices, all while raking in eye watering profits. “The government will pretend that these issues are outside their control, but they are not. These are political decisions.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael talk about their glossy ‘taskforce’ to look at energy prices, despite the last government launching a ‘steering group’ to do the same thing. “This will be another talking shop to waste taxpayer money.
“This government need to step up and tackle these issues. They need to scrap the cut to costs for data centres and crucially, use this year’s budget to bring forward badly needed supports to help families and small businesses who are struggling with sky high energy costs.
“Sinn Féin would tackle this head on. September’s budget must include energy credits as part of a cost-of-living package to reduce the pressure households are facing and extend the reduced VAT on electricity and gas bills until the end of the year.”
As we move into the Autumn and Winter, the energy credits that the government made available to all will not be made this year, however a fuel allowance increase is in the pipeline but nothing definitive has been decided.
