John McGuinness: Administration failing - consumers pay
John McGuinness addressed the Dáil today, welcoming recent measures but warning they came too late and exposed administrative dysfunction. He called for faster, targeted support for wholesalers, farmers, the elderly and low-income households, and urged a full review of energy policy.
Main points and immediate concerns: John McGuinness said the measures announced are a start but insufficient. He warned that costs incurred by wholesalers will be passed on to consumers and that farmers have not received the level of support he expected, which will again hit household budgets.
Energy policy and regulation gaps: McGuinness raised concerns about renewable projects and missing regulations promised in previous years, arguing the absence of clear rules allows large companies to push ahead without meaningful engagement with affected communities. He also urged the government to consider all energy options, including nuclear, in light of European pressures and global uncertainty.
Social impacts and retrofitting difficulties: The TD highlighted the plight of the elderly, poorly heated homes and families facing rising energy bills. He criticised the red tape around retrofitting schemes and the upfront costs that make recommended works unaffordable for many households.
What he wants next: McGuinness asked the Minister to keep measures under review while the international situation evolves and to prioritise targeted support where it is most needed. He pressed for rapid, practical changes to protect consumers and communities from further price shocks.
Main points and immediate concerns: John McGuinness said the measures announced are a start but insufficient. He warned that costs incurred by wholesalers will be passed on to consumers and that farmers have not received the level of support he expected, which will again hit household budgets.
Energy policy and regulation gaps: McGuinness raised concerns about renewable projects and missing regulations promised in previous years, arguing the absence of clear rules allows large companies to push ahead without meaningful engagement with affected communities. He also urged the government to consider all energy options, including nuclear, in light of European pressures and global uncertainty.
Social impacts and retrofitting difficulties: The TD highlighted the plight of the elderly, poorly heated homes and families facing rising energy bills. He criticised the red tape around retrofitting schemes and the upfront costs that make recommended works unaffordable for many households.
What he wants next: McGuinness asked the Minister to keep measures under review while the international situation evolves and to prioritise targeted support where it is most needed. He pressed for rapid, practical changes to protect consumers and communities from further price shocks.
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Transcript
MacEann Comhairle, I welcome the measures that have been introduced. I think that they were timely and perhaps they could have been introduced earlier if we were agile enough as a state to turn around, identify where the problems are and then deal with them but unfortunately we're not. It signals that there is a clear dysfunction at the heart of administration in this country and we don't plan for the future. The measures I hope are a first step because when you look at what was given to the wholiers and my background is transport, I'll put that in the record, much more needs to be done and we have to be able to change what we're after doing very quickly if something else should happen to push prices up because the cost to wholiers would simply be passed on to the consumer. It ends up at the door of the consumer anyway. Similarly in relation to farmers. Farmers producing our food and yet they did not get the type of support that I would have expected that they should have got in this range, in this basket of supports and again if they don't get support with their costs it ends up with the consumer again or it ends up in the pocket of some of the bigger supermarkets all over the country. Now we all know this from previous experiences but we're not translating it properly into the type of financial support that is needed quickly and immediately. I have my view on the renewable energy and wind farms and so on and I think that we are destroying the countryside with them and again I would say to the government where are the regulations that were promised way back in 2016 or 2013, where are they? We were told we'd have them in the first quarter of this year and we don't have them and as long as that happens then the bigger companies again push ahead with their agenda but the government which is responsible for the direction the country is taking is simply standing idly by and not engaging with this house here or with the communities that are affected in any sort of meaningful way. A great concern I have is for the elderly, for those that are living in poorly heated accommodation, for young families and individuals that are living in substandard apartments that are having to fork out more and more money for the heating systems in their apartments and not getting a direct support in these measures. So I would ask you Minister that in reviewing all of this because it will remain under review while the war is going on and while the uncertainty is there, you should look at and support those that we know need greater support than what was given to them today and in terms of power and everything else we should have a debate about nuclear options, about nuclear power, about what's happening right across Europe. We're prepared to import it because it was produced that way but yet we're not prepared to examine it fully in terms of the state and how we should be preparing for the future and the carbon tax is another example of being driven down a particular route to suit Europe. Well we have a war across many countries in the world, it's affecting the world and I would say that in a wartime we should be willing to look at every option that is central to the upkeep of the well-being of the state, upkeep of the coffers of the state and be prepared to make the changes that are necessary to make the lives of people much better. Reference was made to the retrofitting of homes. When you get into that and if you don't have the money to do it up front, it is a nightmare as far as red tape and bureaucracy is concerned and if you go through the likes of SS Electricity and you're availing of their home inspection scheme that costs 650 euro, you'll find that at the end of it you have a nice bit of paper but you have nothing else and what's being recommended is so expensive that there are many households that simply cannot afford it. So let's look at those that don't have something and give it to them.