Mattie McGrath: Criticises energy costs, urges national renewable power
Mattie McGrath criticised the minister over soaring ESB electricity prices, delays to the Warmer Home Scheme and the continued carbon tax, urging authorities to prioritise households. He called for a rapid shift to national renewable energy - wind, biomass and solar - as cheaper, self-reliant power that will never be held to ransom.
Main complaint
He told the minister that ESB prices had risen by 23-25% and disputed claims that the war alone explained the spike, saying prices were already spiralling before the conflict and pointing to a motion brought in October as evidence.
Household impact and scheme delays
He warned people are freezing, getting sick and cannot afford ESB bills or fuel, and criticised a 24-month delay to the Warmer Home Scheme prior to Covid and current waits of about two years if the scheme proceeds at all.
Carbon tax criticism
He argued that persisting with a carbon tax on struggling households compounds the problem, urging the minister to "get real" and honour commitments to serve the people rather than prioritise global interests.
Renewable energy proposal
He proposed a "radical transformation" to harness national renewable resources - noting abundant sea area, strong winds, biomass and solar potential - as the cheapest available power supply and a way to secure energy independence.
Founding ambition and self-reliance
He invoked the state's founding ambition to rely on and manage national natural resources, saying the best way to serve the Irish people is to turn to what the country has in abundance and to secure its own power supply.
Call for reply
He pressed the minister to respond and repeatedly addressed Deputy Thomas during the close of his remarks.
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Minister, I'm sure your commitment to getting elected to this House is to serve the people. You've been talking there and putting the programme for government. What's in your promise to the people to go after them? ESB prices are getting up by 23-25% yesterday. You're blaming the war. Please be honest with the people. These prices were spilling out of control. We brought a motion here last October, before ever there was any mention of the war. So be honest with the people. Warmer Home Scheme, there was a 24-month delay prior to Covid. Now it's about two years if it happens at all. So you're playing a mind game with people who are freezing, who are getting sick and who can't afford the ESB or the fuel. And then you persist with a carbon tax down on top of them. Please get real and honour the commitment you have to serve the people. Talk to the dollar. Look after the people. Not look after global interests and everybody else and tag on and read out triple lock agreements that you have stitched into the programme for government. Look after Nadini. The people, please. They're crying for help. Minister to respond. I think serving the Irish people and the Irish interests on this occasion are in a radical transformation where we use our own energy. Where we actually turn what we have in abundance. If I can just finish the point. We have an abundance renewable power. Our sea air is seven times our land area. Probably the windiest country in the world. And actually with the land mass where we can, in our farming community, through biomass, through solar, actually turn to our own power. And that power supply, we will never be held to ransom. That power supply is the cheapest power supply available to us today. So the best way we can serve the Irish people at this time is to turn to our national resources. What's in our proclamation, our various, the founding ambition of this state is to rely on ourselves, to be strong ourselves in using and managing our own natural resources. That's what we're doing. When it will. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas. Deputy Thomas.
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