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making extraordinary profits while ordinary people are left behind. That is why we are supporting calls for the immediate introduction of a robust windfall tax. This debate comes down to one simple question: who should benefit from a crisis? Families across the State have been hammered by soaring … conflict involving Iran. While families worry about paying their next bill, somebody else is counting record profits and that cannot be defended. A windfall tax is simply about fairness and justice. Companies making crisis profits should make a fair contribution back to society and that is just common

raised a combined €456 million; and — the Minister for Finance, has suggested that the State should wait for a joint EU approach to windfall taxes on the excess profits of energy companies, but Portugal has already moved ahead and introduced its own windfall tax; and calls … stop this happening, and we need to use that power. The Social Democrats are proposing that the Government protect households by introducing a windfall tax on energy companies' profits. This was done before at an EU level in 2022 following the outbreak of war in Ukraine

Minister of State set out that Ireland would engage constructively with the development of proposals for a potential EU-wide windfall tax levy. She also talked about what the Tánaiste had done on this. The European Commissioner for energy, however, has said very clearly that … countries to develop schemes themselves. What is the Government doing here? Who is it kidding? If the Government actually wanted to introduce a windfall tax, the European Commission is saying very clearly that it would help us. There is nothing stopping us and there is no EU-wide

years ago, many of us in the Opposition fought tooth and nail to make the case to the Government for the introduction of windfall taxes on the supernormal profits of energy companies. Finally, the Government moved, at a glacial pace, to the Opposition's position. The net result … time. In other words, the template is there. Last week at Leaders' Questions, I raised with the Minister for Finance the idea a windfall tax should be placed on the excess profits of power companies. We got the usual kind of response we expect from Fine Gael

Deputy Whitmore mentioned, ESB Networks made €445 million in pre-tax profits. That is incredible. That is why we are proposing the windfall tax on excess energy profits, with the money raised used to fund a €400 energy credit for low-to-middle income households. These are households … paying the higher price. The Government has already recognised the principle behind what we are proposing. In 2023, it legislated for a windfall tax due to the war in Ukraine. If the principle was right then, why is it wrong now? Why should families facing another difficult winter

energy costs. We in the Social Democrats believe there should be a targeted €400 energy credit. We could pay for that by a windfall tax on the energy companies. It is extremely frustrating that European leaders wrote to Simon Harris, the Tánaiste, to put this on the table … discussion at the recent meeting but he did not want to know about it. Why does he not want to put a windfall tax on the energy companies? Who is the Government afraid of? Everyone would back the Government if it put a windfall tax in the energy

Energy companies are making enormous profits while pensioners go cold. Instead of allowing this blatant and scandalous profiteering, the Government could introduce a windfall tax on their excess profits. The Taoiseach could take a stand by telling energy companies the burden of paying for these costs will … that the people of this country, who are already paying the highest electricity prices in Europe, will not be bled dry. A windfall tax would push energy companies into reducing prices by threatening to take their entire excess profits. This would directly help households that are really struggling

completely reject. The Minister of State referred to the ECOFIN meeting of last week. My colleague, Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, spoke about a windfall tax and the Department of Finance was quick to come in and say the issue was on the agenda. It was on the lunchtime … ECOFIN meeting following pressure from other Ministers. I am sorry, but the Government was dragged kicking and screaming to even discuss a windfall tax at that appropriate forum. One of the other things I picked up from the language in the Minister of State's statement

that will change behaviour. What we are missing is the ring-fenced funds to help families who were hit the hardest. A windfall tax is needed to support households with targeted energy credits and to fund retrofitting. It could help to plug the carbon tax … questions. Has the Government received the energy affordability action plan and will it be published before the budget? Will it put an actual windfall tax on power companies and when? On behalf of families throughout the country, I have a very clear question: will the Government finally commit

attempts to get those costs down by engaging with the energy companies. Is it any wonder the Government will not even consider a windfall tax? A windfall tax would give the Government the resources to bring back the energy credits. The Government has them anyway but it would

that. In the first instance, the scale of the Government's response has been very significant, at about €1.4 billion to date. No windfall tax will come near that. Let us be very clear and straight about that. I think our last windfall tax, which was introduced during

cost-of-living supports this year, leaving families as much as €1,400 worse off. The Government must now introduce a windfall profits tax on energy companies and price caps on petrol, diesel, home heating oil, electricity and gas to support families with the cost of energy … last year, and 500,000 households are in arrears on their electricity and gas bills. In 2023 the Government introduced a windfall profits tax on energy companies and a cap on market revenue which brought in €456 million. The same should happen now. Energy companies are making huge

fair that he is going through that and at the same time we have large energy corporations the Government is refusing to tax properly. It is not just the normal taxation, they are making super profits, extraordinary profits that they could never have envisaged, and the Government … will bring a level of fairness into this debate. Instead of saying the EU has ruled out an EU-wide energy windfall tax, which is what has happened, or saying the Government agrees with this motion, it will support it and it will bring in a national windfall

windfalls the day after as young boys and girls and brought a trailer of apples to Clonmel to make lovely cider. A windfall tax is only logical to put some money back in people's pockets and be reasonable. Large data centres are using energy. Someone said they … rates, and they do, but there is no fairness and balance. We need a windfall tax to bring back some fairness at a time when people make money from extraordinary events, rather than due to their own business acumen, productivity or anything else. The Government is raking

temporary solidarity contribution. Ireland will engage constructively on the development of proposals from the Commission on a potential EU-wide windfall tax or levy if such proposals are brought forward. Governments across Europe are rightly attentive to developments in energy markets and their impact on households, businesses … wider economy. The topic of windfall taxes was discussed by ministers at the recent informal ECOFIN meeting in Dublin. The Commission took note of the discussions and was asked to report back to ministers at the October meeting. The Government will continue to actively monitor the current geopolitical

Take it handy. There is no evidence that putting on a windfall tax would reduce any prices. We did it during the last crisis and prices did not reduce. However, its merit is in bringing some revenue back to the Government in terms of any windfall gains that … careful about, frankly, on the supply side. It is easy to come up with simplistic things. I accept that we did a windfall tax the last time. Revenue of €200 million or more came in. It did not bring down prices but it at least gave the Government

them and when the electricity bill comes in, that sometimes is the one that has to wait. We know that a windfall tax can work because we have done it already. The previous temporary solidarity contribution and the market revenue cap raised a combined €456 million. Our proposal … blame elsewhere. We have an opportunity to help families in need now. I urge the Government to support this motion. Introduce a windfall tax on excess energy profits and ensure that the money raised goes directly towards households which need it most

straightforward question. Keeping things under review is no good. Households are struggling now. We have put forward a proposal for a windfall tax, the aim of which is to reduce energy bills because companies could no longer pocket and keep excess profits under the proposal. That would create … previously. Will the Government do it? Will it take action as quickly as possible to reduce people's energy bills by introducing a windfall tax? I have asked two very straightforward questions

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The Minister knows the European Commissioner has ruled out a Europe-wide energy windfall tax. He said it was better done domestically. There is no point in the Minister for Finance hiding behind the skirts of the European Union. It said … public, that it is not planning to do and that would be better done domestically. Will the Minister look at introducing a windfall tax on the excess profits these energy companies are making while ordinary people are put to the pin of their collar trying to keep warm

Minister of State acknowledged. We are talking here about super-profits and extra profits - profits that were never anticipated or expected. A windfall tax on profits that were never expected or anticipated is an entirely just proposition. We would claw back those profits for measures such rolling … been done before. It can and should be done. We urge the Government at this late stage to adopt our proposal for this windfall tax

fair and it is not right. It is time that the Government stopped hand wringing and actually did something about it. A windfall tax on the superprofits of energy companies needs to be introduced now to stop this immoral profiteering. This is money that could be used … Tánaiste agree that it is immoral for energy companies to make windfall profits during an energy crisis? Will the Government introduce a windfall tax on their superprofits

people to light and heat their homes and so on. In 2023, under pressure from us and others, the Government did introduce a windfall tax. It was an inadequate tax and did not go far enough, but it raised nearly €500 million. It was then abolished. The record … mandate where it has to pretend it is just another private company operating in the market on a for-profit basis. We need windfall taxes and price controls, but what we fundamentally need to do is to reverse the process of liberalisation and privatisation. We need to reconstitute

Minister will know, we will take in approximately €17.5 billion in windfall corporation taxes this year. Our budget surplus of €8 billion looks great but without these windfall corporation taxes, our finances would be in deficit to the tune of €8 billion or €9 billion, which is concerning … know the Minister is aware of this. Would he consider doing something like what is done in Norway, namely ring-fencing these windfall corporation taxes, or a large proportion of them, and not allowing them to be used for current expenditure? Only what is earned from the fund

should be reduced from 13.5% to 9%. Oil companies are making obscene windfall profits and they must be subject to a windfall profit tax. The eight largest oil companies have made $93 billion in profit in three months. It is immoral. Electricity credits are essential for the coming … minimum, reduce the cost of home heating oil by removing the carbon tax and reducing the VAT rate, introduce a windfall profits tax, make data centres pay the same electricity rates as households, pay a €500 energy credit to households, introduce a second tier of child benefit

backs of customers and the Government is directly responsible for ensuring that does not happen. Yes, the idea or notion of a windfall tax is grand and is going in the right way but companies should not be making this windfall because it is hurting many people. Government

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider applying a 75% windfall tax on the profits of energy companies, including electricity companies. [68614/26

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance for an update on the introduction of a windfall tax for large energy companies. [65222/26