Government could have seen record number in energy arrears coming – Doherty

A record number of people in arrears on electricity bills is something the Government “could have seen coming”, Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty has claimed.

This July was the worst since records began for the number of people in long-term arrears on their energy bills, according to the latest report from the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU).

The report showed a total of 323,559 people were behind on their electricity bills in the three months to July.

The Government was warned this would happen, Mr Doherty told the Dail.

“Tánaiste, this is something you could have seen coming,” he told Finance Minister Simon Harris.

“At almost exactly the same time last year, energy suppliers were announcing increases and the Government was withdrawing energy credits from families.

“It did that despite the energy regulator warning that without those credits, arrears could increase significantly.

“The Government went against that warning, and that is exactly what happened.”

Help for struggling families is on the way through the Budget in 12 days’ time, the Tánaiste said, but global issues are playing a part.

“There are a number of issues that we are actively endeavouring to advance to provide assistance and certainty to people when it comes to energy,” he said.

“While also being honest with people that there is no government in the world that can absorb all of the impact of a global energy shock.

“There simply is not, and it would be untrue to suggest that there is, but there are things we can do and things we will do.”

Sinn Féin has on several occasions called on the Government to implement 400 euro in electricity credits this winter, Mr Doherty said.

He accused the Tánaiste of distracting from its failures.

“When I stood here this time last year, raising these questions with you, you were giving the same type of mantra: ‘this would be a cost of living budget’, and ‘this had to be looked at in the round’,” he said.

“People know their real-life experience in the last year. They feel worse off. They feel under more pressure.

“When you decided to end energy credits, more families fell into arrears, that is just fact.

“You can shake your head all you want. Let me tell you the facts.”

We are experiencing the greatest energy shock in the history of the globe, according to Mr Harris, and the impact of members of the Dáil shouldn’t be overstated.

“Deputy, you’re at this a long time, a very long time, in fact. Let’s not rewrite geopolitical history as to why energy prices have risen,” he told Mr Doherty.

“It’s not by any decision taken in Dáil Éireann. It’s because the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

“It’s because there’s been bombing of Iran. So you or I didn’t take a decision.

“Let’s not let’s not blow up the egos of people in this house. There’s a geopolitical energy shock going on.

“I know you like to blame me for everything, but the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a stretch. That’s what’s happened with the global energy market.”