Sinn Féin spokesperson on the Environment, Climate and Energy, Pa Daly TD, has hit out at the Government for what he described as its failure to address Ireland’s worsening energy affordability crisis.

Deputy Daly accused the coalition of allowing the situation to deteriorate through the withdrawal of energy credits and its "failure to hold energy companies to account".

The Kerry TD has called for urgent government intervention, including the immediate reintroduction of €450 energy credits for households this winter. His comments follow the publication of the Interim Report by the National Energy Affordability Taskforce.

Commenting on the report, Teachta Daly said: "The publication of this report reinforces Sinn Féin's criticisms of this government’s total failure to address Ireland’s energy crisis. Not only does this government have no plan to address rip-off energy costs, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Regional Independents, including the Healy Raes, are content to let the crisis deepen.

"Today's 'Interim Report' from the Energy Affordability Tasking exposes the fact that all this government is willing to do is pay lip service to a crisis they have zero intention of actually solving.

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"Following the government's decision to withdraw energy credits this winter, electricity bills are set to soar to sky-high levels. Annual electricity bills will now reach nearly €1,900, with the very real risk that they will rise again in the near future.

"This yet another body-blow to households who are hit by a raging cost of living crisis at every turn.

"300,000 households are already in arrears in their energy bills. Many more are barely making ends meet.

"Not only have the numbers of households in arrears sky-rocketed, the level of debt continues to rise sharply. For example, the average level of electricity debt stands at €471 as of June 2025, a staggering increase from €292 in 2021.

"Significantly, more than 60% of electricity arrears are now long term.

"This reinforces the difficulty households have in meeting their energy costs, even with the electricity credits. As the government has decided to rip away these supports, this situation will no doubt deteriorate further.

"I am therefore calling for the immediate reintroduction of the €450 electricity credit.

"The government and the regulator must also take steps to hold energy companies to account. Despite wholesale prices falling, Irish energy suppliers have recently implemented another round of price hikes.

"Combined with the revelation from a recent International Energy Agency report that the gap between Irish wholesale and retail energy prices is one of the biggest in the world, the energy companies need to answer very serious questions about price-gouging.

"While this report does identify some of the well known problems with Ireland’s energy market, it proposes zero solutions. It is nothing more than window dressing for a do-nothing government that is out of ideas.

"While households are facing the challenge of being unable to heat or light their homes this winter, that is not good enough.

"I am calling on Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Regional Independents to keep their election promises to their constituents to tackle Ireland’s exorbitant energy costs."