Sinn Féin's climate, environment and energy spokesperson has condemned the regulator’s latest consumer protections for 2026–27 as evidence of a lack of urgency from Government, arguing that households remain under pressure from persistently high costs and rising arrears.

Pa Daly TD made his remarks after the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published an update to consumer protection measures for 2026 and 2027, which he says lays bare the toll of elevated energy prices that he contends are the highest in the EU.

Teachta Daly said: "The most striking thing about this latest CRU decision is not the measures themselves, but the evidence that sits behind them. Four years after the energy crisis began following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Irish families are still being crushed by sky-high energy costs.

"Things have only gotten worse since the US war on Iran began, leading to broader geopolitical instability and conflict. As a result, the price of energy has once again been sent soaring.

"The CRU's own figures show that electricity bills remain 83% higher than they were before the crisis, while gas bills are a staggering 107% higher. Those are extraordinary figures. They represent years of financial pain for workers, families and pensioners who have been forced to absorb bill after bill while Government stands idly by.

"What is most frustrating is the complete lack of urgency from both Government and the regulator. There is an acceptance at the heart of official policy that Ireland simply has to live with the highest energy prices in Europe.

"Both the government and the regulator remain unphased having adopted an ‘it’s out of our hands’ attitude, and who choose only to comment rather than taking the bold action needed to bring bills down.

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"However, Ireland’s energy rip-off is not inevitable. It is a result of the political choices by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments who continue to prioritise the corporate bottom line over ordinary workers and families.

"In truth, despite their protests, the government appear happy with the status quo.

"The reality is that the Government has completely failed to get to grips with Ireland’s energy rip-off.

"Families were told that temporary supports would help them through the crisis. Yet the Government withdrew those supports – despite the fact that the crisis has clearly not ended. Sinn Féin repeatedly called for energy credits to be reintroduced, but those calls were ignored.

"The result has been entirely predictable.

"Just as the CRU warned, arrears have surged. Household debt is rising. More and more people simply cannot keep up.

"The figures should ring alarm bells across Government. Electricity arrears have increased by 20% in a single year. The number of gas customers in arrears has jumped by 17%. Average debt levels continue to rise.

"Particularly concerning is the impact on one-parent families, who have seen some of the sharpest increases in arrears. At a time when the cost of living continues to squeeze working families, lone parents are being left behind and forced to shoulder impossible costs.

"What makes this decision so frustrating is that it largely focuses on managing the consequences of high energy prices rather than addressing the high prices themselves. Households do not need more debt management schemes. They need lower bills.

"There is nothing here to tackle excessive energy costs. There are no electricity credits. No social tariff. No meaningful effort to make large energy users, including data centres, pay their fair share of network costs. No structural reforms to bring down household energy bills.

"Once again, the burden is being placed on struggling families rather than on those who can most afford to pay.

"The decision also retains higher debt recovery deductions for PAYG customers, meaning more money can be taken from top-ups to pay down debt. For many households, PAYG meters are already a marker of financial hardship. Taking a bigger slice of every top-up means less money available to actually heat a home, cook meals or keep the lights on.

"Worse still, these measures do nothing to address the ongoing failure to properly regulate hardship PAYG meters, an issue repeatedly highlighted by Sinn Féin, St Vincent de Paul and Social Justice Ireland.

"The Government will say that they are helping households. The truth is exactly the opposite.

"If Government policy was working, families would not be falling deeper into debt. If Government policy was working, arrears would be falling, not rising. If Government policy was working, Ireland would not still require emergency measures four years after the crisis began.

"While these protections may prevent some disconnections and provide some welcome safeguards for vulnerable customers, they do not solve the underlying problem. They help households survive unaffordable energy bills. They do nothing to make those bills affordable.

"Irish families are exhausted. They have endured years of price hikes, years of financial strain and years of being told relief is just around the corner. They deserve better than sticking plasters and debt management schemes. They deserve lower bills, stronger consumer protections, fairer network charging and a Government prepared to stand up for households instead of accepting the status quo."