Independent TD Carol Nolan has said it is striking that Government shows far more appetite for confronting social media companies than for challenging energy suppliers whose decisions have immediate and measurable consequences for Irish families.
She noted that while ministers often have good reason to pursue online platforms, it is “impossible to understand” why the same urgency is never applied to the energy sector.
The Offaly Independent said almost every major supplier has now announced further hikes, including electricity rising by close to five per cent, gas by more than nine per cent, and dual‑fuel bills climbing by well over €200 a year.
She said these increases are landing on families who have already exhausted every margin in their household budgets, while Ireland continues to record some of the highest electricity costs in the EU.
“In this country we are plagued by infrastructure delays, planning delays and endless government bureaucracy. But when it comes time to hiking up people’s bills, our energy companies, and the Government, display a ruthless level of efficiency.”
Deputy Nolan said people are worn down by the constant escalation in everyday costs, from supermarket prices to essential utilities, and that the psychological strain of opening bills has become intolerable:
“People are sick of it. They are sick of going to the tills and feeling mugged by price increases. They are sick of opening household, farm or business bills and being terrified at what is being demanded of them.”
She said the pressure is being intensified by decisions that households cannot avoid, including the upcoming rise in electricity network charges. The additional €41 a year, on top of existing charges averaging around €500, is another cost imposed on consumers who have no alternative provider. This comes alongside the expected rise in carbon tax, which will further compound the strain on families already struggling to manage basic expenses.
“Many families and businesses in my constituency remain trapped in a deep and prolonged cost‑of‑living crisis. They are being left to the mercy of large energy companies who know that Government will continue to adopt the same soft‑touch approach it has relied on to date.”
Deputy Nolan said a fundamental shift in attitude is required:
“If ministers had half the nerve and bravado in dealing with the energy companies as they do with the social media companies, perhaps this crisis would not be so deep or so prolonged. Things cannot be allowed to continue along this road.”
Last week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin ruled out universal energy credits in next month’s Budget.
“Every time you do a one-off payment, and so if you have a billion or two billion (euro) in one-off payments, you’re reducing your capacity to deal more substantively with issues that matter to people on an ongoing basis, not just on a one-off basis,” he said.
“So that’s what informs our approach in respect of that. So the sort of energy credits for everybody, I can’t see the capacity being there to do that”.