Carol Nolan on energy crisis: calls out profiteering, faults policy

Carol Nolan criticised the government's handling of the energy price crisis, arguing inertia and past policy errors have driven up electricity costs. She called for the government to confront energy companies over profiteering, push for energy self-sufficiency and proceed with planned storage while warning it will take years.

Main points

Carol Nolan said the energy price crisis reflects a government paralysed by inertia and blamed earlier policy choices for worsening the situation. She acknowledged that a storage facility will now proceed but emphasised that the solution will take years to provide relief.

Policy history and mistakes

She criticised the previous "Green Party era" where, she said, the tail wagged the dog and energy independence in the form of LNG or oil and gas exploration was treated as almost a heresy. She also described the closure of Shannon Bridge Power Station as one of the huge mistakes that was made.

Households and small businesses

Carol Nolan highlighted the immediate impact on people, saying many elderly households and small businesses are struggling with high electricity prices. She reported that some small businesses have closed and said she has received such reports from her own constituency of Ofli.

Calls for action on profiteering

She demanded that energy companies be called out for an end to profiteering and asked for a clear message from the government that companies must respect people and be fair on prices. She warned that Ireland is among the highest in Europe for electricity costs.