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west Limerick in order to allow the company to sell its clean energy to the grid. We are talking about an energy crisis, and the ESB is looking for €3.8 million. During the first part of the meeting on the matter, the ESB looked for €1 million … which has allowed the ESB to make such profits. If electricity is produced through the use of fossil fuels, higher tariffs are charged. The ESB includes a reference stating that 70% of your bill is from green energy but it charges the tariffs relating to fossil fuels

Radio Teilifís Éireann that he was open to all forms of energy supply. He also acknowledged the fragility of Irish dependence on imported fuels. That admission is important - and it is important to the House - because Ireland imports approximately 86% of its energy, which … Taoiseach that the latter is not climate leadership; it is a policy contradiction. Does the Taoiseach accept that Ireland's exposure to this crisis is not just global in origin but domestic in design? Norway operates in the same markets and the United Kingdom faces the same pressures

operations may benefit in respect of different vehicles for the road transport support scheme and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine fuel subsidy support scheme. A licensed passenger operator providing bus services to and from piers for island ferries may benefit from the road transport scheme … experts on the notification of details of the scheme to the EU Commission. The European Commission is working on a state aid temporary crisis framework to support the EU economy in the context of the Middle East crisis. Ireland has provided feedback on the proposals and the Minister

workers feel undervalued, underpaid and overlooked. They are working harder than ever but struggling more than ever as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite in housing, groceries, childcare and healthcare. We believe it is essential to legislate to give workers and the trade unions the legal … have seen good, decent people protest recently to stand up against the cost of living during the fuel protests. Instead of being on the side of workers - the very people who keep this country running - threats were issued by Ministers who chose escalation over talks. We need

These are families who have had the small support of one-off payments taken off them this year while their housing costs and fuel bills are going up and they are struggling to make ends meet. It is not just the Christmas turkey that will cost more this … squeezed middle". What does the Taoiseach propose to do for hard-working families? He repeatedly answers my questions on the cost-of-living crisis by mentioning the terrible war in Ukraine, which, of course, is a factor, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and market forces, but corporate greed

SMEs are under unbearable pressure. According to them, jobs are at risk. In Kerry, local businesses are telling me the same story. Rising fuel costs, insurance and toll hikes are all pushing them to the brink. According to Chartered Accountants Ireland, costs have increased for almost … cost of living. It pushes up prices for basic necessities which are already sky high. Is the Government taking the cost-of-living crisis seriously at all? On top of this, we face a severe HGV driver shortage. A total of 4,000 drivers are needed over

energy bills facing every household and business up and down the country already on their knees with the cost-of-living crisis. More energy increases come at a time when we are already paying the highest levels of energy prices in Europe. That is a badge of dishonour … enough oil for a couple of days for heating? That is the reality for too many people I know who are living in fuel poverty. In the rip-off, get prices under control and support struggling families. That is what the Government needs to do. I know

difficult time. The reopening of the fuel support scheme is some assistance in the short term but he has failed to provide any fuel support for farmers or contractors in budget 2027. It is only until the end of this year. Farmers will still be driving tractors … nutrient storage. That is unfair to those farmers who wish to invest in other areas of their farm. The tillage sector is in crisis. We have had a difficult year, with late selling seasons, reduced yield due to drought and, to top it all off, a poor price

energy bills because this Government refused to plan. Now, in a panic, it is asking us to spend €1 billion to fix a crisis of its own making. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted on energy security because they do not treat it as a public … game but it is all hot air. Projects in the pipeline have not even broken ground. We are one of the most fossil fuel-dependent countries in Europe, importing 94% of our energy from fossil fuels. That is a strategic vulnerability, and this Government has entrenched it rather

worst effects of this unprecedented crisis, which the International Energy Agency itself has said will have a worse impact than the 1970s oil crisis. We in Labour certainly are not saying that. In many respects, the inability of households to absorb this latest energy shock can be traced … that has created the problems we are experiencing. The problems here in Ireland are even greater because of our excessive reliance on fossil fuels. We cannot keep subsidising high fossil fuel prices or continue relying on fossil fuels for a couple of different reasons. The first is that

cost of energy. I make these points at the outset to illustrate the strong connection between the climate crisis, the cost-of-living crisis and the future of our economy and our workplaces. The connection here is so clear for the working families I represent. Every month … Government that is using evidence to drive energy policy, not just acquiescing to the calls of tech giants and fossil fuel lobbyists. Before I finish, I want to emphasise that for Labour and for all of us, the debate should also be about jobs because the same artificial

energy upgrade schemes and retrofitting, as well as growing investment in renewable energy generation and the circular economy. We all know the housing crisis is an emergency. That requires us to react with a multifaceted response and with all arms and agencies of the State acting … going to preschool, for two- and three-year-olds. This is a practical measure that will help young families. We are increasing the fuel allowance payment and extending eligibility to those in receipt of the working family payment. More than 50,000 additional households will now qualify

does not reflect where aviation is at the moment. It does not reflect the current difficulties that airlines face with respect to fuel crises. It does not reflect the fact that, to this day, only 1% of cargo coming in and out of Ireland moves by air. There … largely down to airlines trying to rationalise and pare back some of their costs for refuelling and so on, given the crisis that airlines face with overhead costs. It is not good enough because we want a service that operates out of our region. I make a conscious

reliant on fossil fuels and the global energy market. What the Government never said was, "How can we actually move away from fossil fuels? How can we make our homes resilient? How can we make sure that if something happens in the Middle East or in Ukraine … Ukraine war but I cannot see any advocacy for that at a European level. There are alternatives to the home heating oil crisis that people are facing at the moment. There are alternative technologies that could be utilised. However, the Government is moving so slowly on them, allowing

particularly in Limerick. This would allow us to maximise the benefits of increased compact growth, which is vital in solving the housing crisis and meeting our transport goals. Regional cities outside of Dublin cannot continue to suffer as Dublin expands at an unsustainable pace, with infrastructure … done. The Labour Party believes the national planning framework must better reflect our climate goals and the need to reduce emissions from fossil fuels by 51% by 2030. I am concerned about the aspects of the NPF that pertain to energy, particularly LNG, after the recent policy reversal

building in this country since Covid. It is now at gale-force strength, battering families right across the country. The Government made the crisis even worse by withdrawing the cost-of-living supports in the last budget, costing families up to €1,400. This year, 2026, has seen … electricity rates as households, pay a €500 energy credit to households, introduce a second tier of child benefit for poorer families, increase the fuel allowance, implement the living wage and increase social welfare rates

others have said, people are fed up, exhausted and worn down by the current energy crisis. Some of those already challenged to make ends meet - those with disabilities, for example, or those on very low incomes - are now living hand to mouth and cutting back on food just … cannot set direct pricing either, and it does not tackle the root cause of our dependence on imported fossil fuels. To be clear, however, it is an improvement on what is there already. Every piece of relevant information can only push the system a little closer to fairness

system that is there for the mainly women, who provide a fantastic service, and who are now being hit with massive fuel costs. They are also being hit with private companies taking them over. People from all over the world are working in homes where people deliver locally … being denied them because they do not have the money. The people do not have the money and it is a massive crisis in this country. I met a Nigerian gentleman lately who told me he has been here for 20 years. He said we have a beautiful

been suggested by some in the tech sector that AI has a massive role to play in helping us to address the climate crisis and that the positives of AI will outweigh the negatives. I do not doubt that it certainly can have some impact in helping … rules to state that data centres must be powered with clean energy. What is stopping data centres from importing and using more dirty fuel at precisely the time we should be moving away from this? The CRU must clarify in the finalised rules that data centres have

here in Ireland. In terms of housing and migration, the Tánaiste has repeatedly stated that the only long-term answer to the housing crisis is increased supply, and on that point he is absolutely correct. However, the Tánaiste only told half the story, because housing is determined … leave the country, and we do not want that. In terms of agriculture, I welcome the €31 million fertiliser scheme. The extension of fuel supports is definitely welcome. The €22 million sheep welfare scheme is also welcome, as are the farm succession changes. I will end on that

bigger because the Government refuses to change its unfair approach. This budget is a missed opportunity to end our over-reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable sources such as offshore wind provide cheaper, more reliable and sustainable energy that will protect us in a volatile global market, but this … that and to tackle head-on the issues of the day in order that this State can fully realise its potential. The housing crisis can be solved and we can ensure a place to live for all the children of this nation. We can ensure that our people

believe it is another way we can respond to the crisis in which we now find ourselves. Let us recap on that crisis and what has happened with Grok over the last number of months. An unsafe product, a nudification app, was unleashed on the market. That … societal impact of this. Not only is this a product of the misogynistic society we are in but it is something which also fuels it. We are seeing, for example, reports that younger female teachers in schools across Ireland are increasingly experiencing misogyny from their young students. This

footwear allowance will be paid out. In September, there will be a significant increase in the number of people who qualify for the fuel allowance, allowing more people who are worried about heating bills, particularly in the run-up to winter, to qualify for that allowance … want to build on that. We can all say inflation is falling and that is true. We have been through a big inflationary crisis, probably the biggest since the 1970s, but I accept there is a significant time lag in many areas between inflation falling and citizens seeing

week in this Bill. I think of the struggling young person already burdened by the housing crisis, the cost-of-living crisis and rising energy bills now finding themselves unemployed or put on reduced hours in hospitality or retail. How far is €10 going to go for them … this budget. Instead of introducing a cost-of-disability payment worth over €1,000 a year to soften the difficulties, increasing the fuel allowance more to keep up with energy cost inflation, giving relief on energy costs or properly increasing the disability allowance, the Government chose to leave

price increases and additional payments will help one-parent families, low-income working families and families with children and will significantly increase fuel-related payments. The first-ever dedicated cost-of-disability payment will support almost 250,000 people. It is an important start to a new approach … defining challenge of this generation. A rising population, rising employment and many social developments have led to a long-term crisis in supply and affordability. This is felt not only in Ireland, but through much of the developed world. The only way of delivering the homes that people