I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion on energy costs. On Tuesday, 23 September 2025, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.
Energy Costs: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Pa Daly on Tuesday, 23 September 2025:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
— Irish energy prices are amongst the highest in Europe leading to an extra €500 on household bills and is a leading factor in Ireland's cost-of-living crisis;
— the number of households in arrears are at their highest level since records began with 300,000 households in arrears on their electricity bills and 185,000 households in arrears on their gas bills, while many more are just about able to keep up with their bills but are under real pressure;
— electricity prices are the highest in Europe and gas prices are the 5th highest;
— wholesale electricity prices have fallen 75 per cent since their 2022 peak yet retail prices remain 70 per cent above 2022 levels;
— household bills have fallen much slower in Ireland than other European Union (EU) countries following decreases in wholesale prices;
— many energy suppliers have recently increased energy prices despite the sector boasting substantial operating profits;
— the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has warned that without energy credits and Government action to lower people's bills there will be a spike in the number of people pushed into arrears;
— the Government is committed to five regressive carbon tax increases that will hike more cost on people that need to heat their homes with oil and gas; and
— energy poverty is at record levels with one in three struggling to access this basic necessity;
further notes that:
— the CRU does not have the mandate or powers to regulate the hedging strategies of energy companies or the standing charges they place on household bills;
— data centres consume around 25 per cent of Ireland's electricity, and this is expected to rise to 30 per cent by 2030 consuming the equivalent of over two million homes;
— according to senior Government officials' data centre energy demand is leading to higher energy bills for households and could jeopardise our ability to deliver new homes;
— network costs in Ireland are the highest in Europe with a disproportionate burden placed on households, especially lower income households;
— the draft decision for Price Review Six (PR6) proposes to increase network costs on households and to decrease them for data centres;
— the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy which is used to fund the renewable transition is also structured and distributed regressively; and
— Ireland imports 80 per cent of the energy we consume leaving energy bills excessively exposed to market fluctuations and geopolitical matters, often placing upward pressure on household bills;
regrets:
— the Government's continued position that they will not continue electricity credits this winter despite the fact that prices have failed to fall to levels in advance of when they were first introduced in 2022; and
— the excessive liberalisation of the Irish energy market whereby our State-owned energy producer and supplier went from owning 96 per cent of capacity in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2024, which coincided with Irish electricity prices going from the lowest in the EU to the highest; and
calls on the Government to:
— introduce three electricity credits valued at €150 each, totalling €450 to ease the enormous burden on households;
— reverse the carbon tax increase introduced by the Government in 2025, and ensure no further increase to the carbon tax next year, including gas and home heating oil;
— strengthen the mandate and powers of the CRU to hold energy companies to account, prioritise energy affordability and enhance transparency in the energy market;
— ensure oversight of hedging practices to protect against price gouging and profiteering;
— regulate standing charges to keep locked in prices lower;
— sanction anti-competitive behaviour to ensure the proper functioning of the market;
— mandate profit reporting to the CRU on operations in the State by all large energy companies;
— reduce the cost on households from the regressive PSO levy and network charges by making sure large companies pay their fair share by implementing a fair funding model;
— ensure that the draft decision of PR6 is not implemented in its current form;
— end Ireland's over-dependence on energy imports and deliver Irish energy independence; and
— increase public ownership of Ireland's energy supply and operation in order to ensure natural resources are directed toward the generation of national wealth rather than private gain.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that:
— the Government is acutely aware of the recent energy price increases and the impact it has on households and businesses;
— the Government acknowledges the latest data for June shows that 13 per cent of households are in arrears on their electricity bills and 25 per cent on their gas bills, and supporting these households must remain a priority;
— the previous Government introduced a suite of measures over recent years to help households and businesses deal with the rising cost of energy at a time of very high inflation, including €1,500 in electricity credits to all households through four Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Schemes, at a cost of €3.3 billion, this is in addition to one-off payments to support certain social protection payment recipients;
— the Government provides support for households through schemes, including the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package (HBP) and Additional Needs Payment;
— Irish electricity and gas prices have historically been higher than other European Union (EU) countries due to long standing drivers, such as geographical isolation, dispersed population, fossil fuel dependency and small market scale;
— the electricity and gas markets in Ireland are commercial, liberalised, and competitive, and competitive energy markets result in greater choice for consumers and businesses, in terms of suppliers, products and prices, price setting by electricity suppliers is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned; and
— the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a report on retail energy markets in September 2023 in relation to competition and supplier pricing in the energy market, based on a review of supplier prices and wholesale market costs, the CRU considers that retail prices broadly continue to reflect underlying cost drivers, such as wholesale gas and electricity prices, but with a lag period due to supplier hedging strategies; and
affirms that:
— the Government has approved an extension of the 9 per cent Value Added Tax rate currently applied to gas and electricity to end in October 2025 at an estimated cost of €85 million with the net benefit to households from 1st May to 31st October being approximately €26.60 with respect to electricity and €20.28 with respect to gas;
— a range of social welfare measures are available to assist households with energy costs;
— the first winter Fuel Allowance payment of €33 per week starts this week and will continue for 28 weeks, totalling €924 each year, this payment supports over 410,000 households with their energy costs;
— the HBP supports over 540,000 households with their gas and electricity bills and is paid at a rate of €35 per month, 12 months of the year;
— the Additional Needs Payment scheme is available in cases where a person genuinely cannot meet this cost from their own resources and provides a discretionary exceptional needs payment to help meet essential costs, such as a fuel bill;
— following a review of the effectiveness of consumer protection measures over the past winter, the CRU announced some key consumer protection measures will stay in place, including a moratorium on disconnection for vulnerable customers from 1st November, 2025, until 31st March, 2026; and
— the Government has established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce (the Taskforce) to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability;
— the Taskforce:
— will ensure that energy affordability is incorporated into the review of CRU and the regulatory framework;
— is chaired by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, and its membership includes, representatives of various Government Departments and crucial energy sector stakeholders, the work will include, the preparation and implementation of an energy affordability action plan, which will include recommendations for structural reforms to benefit consumers in the medium- and long-term;
— their work will include, a full review of cost drivers within the energy sector, and consideration of how the EU Action Plan for Affordable Energy: Unlocking the true value of our Energy Union to secure affordable, efficient and clean energy for all Europeans and associated guidance can be implemented in an Irish context; and
— their first item of work is the development of an interim plan, including measures for consideration to support customers in Winter 2025/26, in order to inform Budget 2026 discussions;
— the wider package of energy efficiency supports, available from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills, and this year, a record annual capital budget of more than €550 million has been allocated for these schemes, including the Solar Photovoltaic Scheme, meaning more funding than ever is available to make buildings warmer, healthier, more comfortable and less expensive to heat;
— a record €280 million has been allocated to the Warmer Homes Scheme to provide fully funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty, representing an 11-fold increase over the spend on the scheme in 2020 and underlines the Government's commitment to supporting households with their energy costs;
— the Government is committed to continuing with the planned carbon tax increases, aligning with recommendations from the Climate Change Advisory Council and scientific experts, and to continue to use the additional revenues to fund social welfare measures, agri-environmental schemes and retrofitting;
— the National Development Plan will provide for the provision of up to €3.5 billion in additional equity for Electricity Supply Board Networks and EirGrid to support an unprecedented investment in electricity grid infrastructure over 2026 – 2030, this equity will enable the companies to raise finance for the planned investment of up to €18.08 billion;
— this investment will support the delivery of the electricity grid for 2026 – 2030 in line with the CRU Price Review Six (PR6) draft determination published in July, and represents a step change in investment in our electricity grid infrastructure;
— while it is regrettable that Electricity Network tariffs will increase to support this investment under PR6, the investments in vital infrastructure are necessary to transform our electricity system to support a growing population, new housing and expanding businesses;
— the Programme for Government reaffirms Ireland's ambitious targets of 9 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind capacity, 8 GW of solar capacity and at least 5 GW of offshore wind capacity connected to the grid in order to meet the requirement of 80 per cent of electricity demand supplied by renewables;
— the Public Services Obligation (PSO) levy funds Ireland's renewable electricity support schemes, the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff and the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, and is a key enabler of investment needed to meet national targets for renewable generation and carbon emissions reduction;
— the PSO levy has a reduction of about 40 per cent on 2024/25 to €2 a month or circa €24 in the year;
— the Programme for Government sets out a clear policy direction that balances energy, housing, climate and economic development, recognising that increased and unprecedented investment in our electricity grid and generation capacity is essential to meet future demand, not just for data centres but for housing, electric vehicles, heat pumps and a growing population;
— the best long-term approach for Ireland to insulate consumers from volatility on international wholesale energy markets is to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy, cutting our dependence on fossil fuels and generating power from our own renewable sources ensuring a cleaner, cheaper energy future; and
— the Government will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders through the pre-budget process and in advance of forming measures for inclusion in Budget 2026."
- (Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Thomas Byrne)
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 76; Níl, 63; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Aird, William.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Boland, Grace.
- Brabazon, Tom.
- Brennan, Shay.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Butterly, Paula.
- Buttimer, Jerry.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Michael.
- Callaghan, Catherine.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
- Clendennen, John.
- Collins, Niall.
- Connolly, John.
- Cooney, Joe.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Martin.
- Dempsey, Aisling.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dolan, Albert.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fleming, Seán.
- Foley, Norma.
- Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
- Geoghegan, James.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Keogh, Keira.
- Lahart, John.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McCarthy, Noel.
- McCormack, Tony.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Séamus.
- McGreehan, Erin.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Moynihan, Shane.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Maeve.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Meara, Ryan.
- O'Shea, John Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- Ó Muirí, Naoise.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Timmins, Edward.
- Toole, Gillian.
- Troy, Robert.
- Ward, Barry.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bennett, Cathy.
- Brady, John.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Cummins, Jen.
- Daly, Pa.
- Devine, Máire.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrelly, Aidan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gibney, Sinéad.
- Graves, Ann.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Hayes, Eoin.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Hearne, Rory.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Eoghan.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, Paul.
- Lawlor, George.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGettigan, Donna.
- McGuinness, Conor D.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
- Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Donoghue, Robert.
- O'Hara, Louis.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
- Quaide, Liam.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rice, Pádraig.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Wall, Mark.
- Ward, Charles.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 77; Níl, 63; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Aird, William.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Boland, Grace.
- Brabazon, Tom.
- Brennan, Shay.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Butterly, Paula.
- Buttimer, Jerry.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Michael.
- Callaghan, Catherine.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
- Clendennen, John.
- Collins, Niall.
- Connolly, John.
- Cooney, Joe.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Martin.
- Dempsey, Aisling.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dolan, Albert.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fleming, Seán.
- Foley, Norma.
- Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
- Geoghegan, James.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Keogh, Keira.
- Lahart, John.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McCarthy, Noel.
- McCormack, Tony.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Séamus.
- McGreehan, Erin.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Moynihan, Shane.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Maeve.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Meara, Ryan.
- O'Shea, John Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- Ó Muirí, Naoise.
- Roche, Peter.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Timmins, Edward.
- Toole, Gillian.
- Troy, Robert.
- Ward, Barry.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bennett, Cathy.
- Brady, John.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Cummins, Jen.
- Daly, Pa.
- Devine, Máire.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrelly, Aidan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gibney, Sinéad.
- Graves, Ann.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Hayes, Eoin.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Hearne, Rory.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Eoghan.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, Paul.
- Lawlor, George.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGettigan, Donna.
- McGuinness, Conor D.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
- Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Donoghue, Robert.
- O'Hara, Louis.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
- Quaide, Liam.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rice, Pádraig.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Wall, Mark.
- Ward, Charles.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.
Question declared carried.