Peadar Tóibín: Government driving up prices for families
Peadar Tóibín addresses the Dáil to accuse the government of driving up living costs through semi-state profits, fuel taxes and rising energy charges. He demands ministers halt planned petrol and diesel increases and reduce taxes on home heating oil to protect families ahead of winter.
Peadar Tóibín highlights a 57% rise in electricity prices over five years and points to the ESB Group’s reported 636 million euro profit last year. He argues that the structure of wholesale, transmission and distribution costs is broken and that semi-state profits are coming at the expense of households.
Tóibín details rising fuel costs and a sharp increase in carbon and fuel taxes, noting record fuel tax revenue last year. He warns that planned increases in petrol and diesel at the end of July would worsen the cost-of-living crisis and push food prices higher.
The speech foregrounds the human cost: roughly 320,000 families in energy arrears, soaring grocery bills and sharp price rises for staple foods. Tóibín calls on the minister to publicly commit to not increasing petrol and diesel prices and to reduce taxes on home heating oil to prevent families going cold this winter.
The address frames these points as a direct challenge to government policy on semi-states, taxation and climate levies, arguing that current choices are driving inflation and hardship. Tóibín presents an urgent appeal for immediate policy changes to relieve pressure on households.
Allegations on ESB profits and electricity costs
Peadar Tóibín highlights a 57% rise in electricity prices over five years and points to the ESB Group’s reported 636 million euro profit last year. He argues that the structure of wholesale, transmission and distribution costs is broken and that semi-state profits are coming at the expense of households.
Fuel taxes and carbon charges increasing household strain
Tóibín details rising fuel costs and a sharp increase in carbon and fuel taxes, noting record fuel tax revenue last year. He warns that planned increases in petrol and diesel at the end of July would worsen the cost-of-living crisis and push food prices higher.
Impact on families and energy arrears
The speech foregrounds the human cost: roughly 320,000 families in energy arrears, soaring grocery bills and sharp price rises for staple foods. Tóibín calls on the minister to publicly commit to not increasing petrol and diesel prices and to reduce taxes on home heating oil to prevent families going cold this winter.
Political context and consequences
The address frames these points as a direct challenge to government policy on semi-states, taxation and climate levies, arguing that current choices are driving inflation and hardship. Tóibín presents an urgent appeal for immediate policy changes to relieve pressure on households.
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Transcript
Go raibh maith agath, Alaskan Corlea. Minister, we are living in a rip-off republic and you started your debate with the pretense that the government is fighting the costs that people are experiencing at the moment and the truth is right now the government is one of the main causes of expensive prices in Ireland right across the system. So just look at the ESB for example. The electricity prices in this country have risen by 57% in the last five years. Minister, that's startling. The ESB group which is a semi-state which is operating on the basis of government policy made a profit last year of 636 million euros. 636 million euros profit at a time where people are really in trouble in terms of the cost of living crisis. A third of a million people are in energy arrears at the moment and the semi-state is milking the system for that amount. It's worked out about 300 euros per family that the ESB is making in terms of profit and then if you look at the electricity system itself it's a mess. The wholesale cost of electricity only actually works out at about 32% of the cost. The transmission and distribution system which you're in charge of is working at 42% of the cost of the electricity. It is simply not able to do the job that it's meant to do. Carbon taxes, 1 billion euros. It didn't exist a couple of years ago and right now your objective is to increase them in October and every October until 2030. 4.1 billion euros in taxes last year. In the jaws of a cost-of-living crisis this government made more in fuel taxes than ever before. Ever before, Minister. That is absolutely wrong. The cost of diesel has increased by 60% in the last five years and it's also driving up not just transport but every single food item on our shelves at the moment as well. The price of shopping has gone up 40% since 2021. A trolley was costing 150 quid. It's now costing 225 quid. That's three grand extra per family on groceries a year. Things like chicken breasts up from 5 euros up to 12 euros 98. Steak up from 10 euros up to 19 euros 49. Eggs, 35% increase since 2021. Beef up 32%. It is really hitting families hard, Minister, and a lot of this is down to price and one of the biggest frustrating elements is at the end of July it is your objective as a government to put the price of diesel up 35 cents and put the price of petrol up 22 cents. That is wrong and I am calling for you, Minister, at this stage to say openly in public that you will not increase petrol and diesel on families at a time of sheer pressure in terms of the cost of living. It is really important that you get that right. The cost of living is bearing down hard on families at the moment. Families are suffering at a rate that I've never seen before. 320,000 families currently in energy arrears. This is not a luxury goods. This is a staple good that they simply cannot pay for anymore and it's in the gift of your government to ease the pressure on them and that's by taking the foot off the accelerator in relation to the costs of the taxes that you're putting on those families at the moment. And in terms of home heating oil, it's really important that you reduce the taxes on home heating oil otherwise families are going to go cold again this winter.