Electricity standing charges have increased for most people by upwards of €300, regardless of energy usage. The standing charge is supposed to reflect the fixed costs associated with providing electricity and gas. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, mentioned this morning putting in place a moratorium rather than bringing forward emergency legislation, as is his duty, to protect the people of this country. We brought emergency legislation through this House to deal with the Covid pandemic. People are in perilous conditions now and the Minister is refusing to bring forward emergency legislation to deal with it. He might tell the people why he has ordered a review we do not have time for and is refusing to bring forward emergency legislation to deal with this gouging that is happening on top of the gouging by the Government. It reduced VAT to 9% but its tax take has increased because of the trebling of the standing charge. Will he be truthful and honest about this?

There is a whole series of emergency measures we need to take, including direct payments to households, investing in social welfare contributions, emergency support measures for business and the long list of measures, which I will not read out again, to protect the most vulnerable customers, all of which have been done on an emergency basis. If we try to reconfigure our entire energy system by way of emergency legislation, I do not believe we would get it right. We are right to address the immediate needs of households that are in particular difficulty by protecting, supporting and providing for them.

People are being put in jeopardy.

It is not easy in a single piece of legislation to address the entire consequences of this war for our energy system. We are better to do that in a co-ordinated way.