Sinn Féin’s energy spokesperson, Pa Daly TD, has criticised the government for failing to tackle what he calls an escalating energy rip-off, citing a record number of households falling behind on their bills.

He urged ministers to immediately restore energy credits and adopt Sinn Féin’s proposals to bring down costs for households.

Teachta Daly said: "Shocking new figures from the energy regulator reveal that the number of people in debt on their energy bills has reached a new high. 308,000 people are now in arrears. Many many more are barely scraping by.

"That is a damning indictment of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Regional Independents, including the Healy-Rae brothers.

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"To think that they have withdrawn credits at precisely this moment when fresh price hikes were implemented by a spate of energy suppliers and as we enter the darkest depths of winter, demonstrates just how little they care about the impact of the cost of living crisis.

"Everything is moving in the wrong direction.

"Prices are getting higher, the temperature is getting colder, debt has reached new record highs and the government is ripping away supports.

"In September, Sinn Féin introduced a motion to end the energy rip-off.

"Unsurprisingly, the government rejected our proposals and abandoned its responsibility to ensure that households can heat their homes and keep the lights on this winter.

"We told them the crisis would continue to deepen. So did the energy regulator. And now the highest ever number of households cannot afford to meet their most basic energy needs.

"Enough is enough.

"I am calling on the government to urgently reinstate energy credits and to implement Sinn Féin's proposals to bring down the cost of energy long term."