Clashes over how energy costs should be addressed as Dáil returns

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has accused Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald of offering a “blank cheque” to energy companies with her party’s proposals to cut energy bills and freeze them at pre-crisis rates.

He called on Ms McDonald to fully cost her proposals and claimed they were “vague” and “one-dimensional” after she said the Government’s plan to offer people credits towards their energy bills to help them cope with soaring prices was a “flawed approach”.

Ms McDonald said the Government was the one offering a blank cheque to energy companies and that a price cap and freezing of energy costs at pre-crisis levels would provide certainty to the public as they faced into “darker days, longer nights and household use of energy” increasing significantly.

Mr Martin and Ms McDonald clashed during Leaders’ Questions on Wednesday as the Dáil returned following its summer recess.

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The House had earlier stood for a minute’s silence in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as Ms McDonald welcomed British ambassador Paul Johnston to the House. Mr Johnston sat in the VIP gallery as brief tributes were paid. Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl said the late British monarch’s 70 years of service were without parallel.

The Taoiseach said there were many people “on this island who looked upon Elizabeth as their queen” as he again expressed sympathy to King Charles III, the royal family and the British public. Ms McDonald reiterated her sympathies and acknowledged the loss, particularly for Irish unionists, while Labour leader Ivana Bacik added her voice to the expressions of sympathy.

During question time, which was dominated by the energy crisis, the Taoiseach said there was no doubt that the Government would be intervening “in a very significant manner” to help people handle rising costs.

He said “the Government’s view for the time being is that we want to get people through the winter to the end of March, not February”.

Mr Martin said while Sinn Féin’s proposals were time limited, the crisis may not be and supports could be needed beyond February.

He added that non-energy inflation stood at 6 per cent and supports needed to be given in all areas, including to schools and businesses. The Taoiseach said the Coalition wants “to use a range of methods” to support households, including through the social welfare system and energy credits. He told Ms McDonald he wanted to see “a fully costed proposal from you in your chosen measure of intervention”.

The Sinn Féin leader, however, said it was all about choices and “the right thing” for the Government to do to protect households would be to cap and freeze prizes in its budget announcement on September 27th.

Mr Martin agreed with Ms Bacik about the need to ensure that exorbitant profits and revenues earned by energy companies during the criss were dealt with. She called for a windfall tax on profits and said that “without proper supports families would have to choose between heating and eating”.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett urged the Government to nationalise the energy sector and run it on a not-for-profit basis.

Later, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan said he believed Sinn Féin’s measures “may be contradictory and counterproductive”. He urged the party to publish its detailed alternative budget proposals this week rather than the scheduled date of September 23rd. He told Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty that he did not believe “you’ve got the right plan”.

Mr Doherty had labelled the Government as the “second worst in the EU” in terms of money spent to support households during the cost of living crisis. His colleague, environment spokesman Darren O’Rourke, rejected the Taoiseach’s claim that Sinn Féin was issuing a blank cheque to energy companies. He said, “that’s the greatest bluff of them all”, as Government parties had sold off energy companies to the private sector.