Mattie McGrath: Blames Government and Firms for Energy Crisis
Mattie McGrath criticised the government's handling of the energy crisis, blaming government ineptitude, private banks and utility companies for failing to cap prices and bring LNG onshore. He warned the situation is causing hardship for families, schools and small and medium businesses and argued there are already opportunities in the Dáil to debate energy measures.
Main criticism
McGrath said he wrote on behalf of the Rule Independent to the Business Committee calling for an honest, frank and serious debate on the energy crisis. He attributed the crisis to government ineptitude, private bank refusals to stop or cap prices, and utility companies refusing to be brought onshore.
Impact on households and businesses
He described a "perilous situation" for many families, schools and small and medium-sized businesses that "just can't keep going," calling the current conditions part of anarchy that is being created by inaction. He emphasised that the public's plight is being ignored amid rising costs.
Parliamentary actions requested
McGrath said his group opposes the current approach and has indicated it will press for a vote. He highlighted his earlier request to the Business Committee for a substantive debate on energy policy and measures to address the crisis.
Parliamentary timetable and response
He noted that the Dáil was sitting for two days with two private members' debates on energy this week and that leaders' questions had focused largely on energy. McGrath argued there was ample opportunity for deputies to articulate views and for the government to respond, and said it was unfair to suggest energy was not being debated now.
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We're not good, you'll be aware that I wrote on behalf of the Rule Independent a number of weeks ago and to the Business Committee to have an honest and frank and serious debate about the energy crisis that's facing us here because of the ineptitude of the government over there, because of the private bank refusal to stop or cap the prices and the utility companies and take them on, the refusal to bring them on to our own island on shore and look at the gas aisle that you promise, for the last election that you will bring on the LNG and because of the total ignoring of the plight of the public that are out there, it's a perilous situation for many families, schools, small businesses and medium-sized businesses just can't keep going and this is part of the anarchy that you're creating and we're not accepting this business as I pointed out at the Business Committee last Thursday, we're opposed to it and calling a vote on us as well. There's no point line that the government is going to intervene in a cost of living package and in the budget in two weeks time in respect of the energy crisis. There are two debates, the Dáil is meeting today and tomorrow, this week, that's it, today and tomorrow, from two o'clock today until tomorrow. There are two debates, private members debates, I think of two hours duration each, on energy. Plenty of opportunity for deputies to articulate their views and government to respond in respect of energy measures. So there is a debate, there is a debate this week on energy, now you've called for a debate on energy, there is a debate on energy this week, there's two of them, there's two debates and we've had leaders questions almost predominantly on energy, three out of the four leaders raised energy, quite correctly in my view, given the scale of the crisis, I have no issue with that. But to try and suggest that we're not debating it or discussing it now in the two days that we've allocated this week, I don't think it's fair.
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