I wish to raise with the Taoiseach the cases of two elderly people who have contacted me over the past two days. Kitty from Trim, County Meath, is over 100 years old. Her electricity bill with Electric Ireland from 7 December 2022 to 3 February, 59 days, is €957.49 after all subsidies. I have Kitty's bill here. Her previous bill was €133.42. Her electricity usage involves a fridge, a washing machine, an immersion heater, lighting and two electric heaters on timers, with no central heating. Gerry Clarke, 77 years old, from Ballivor, County Meath, told me I could use his name. He received his Electric Ireland bill this week. It amounts to €1,678.65. His previous bill was for €671, and the one before that was for €290. His bill of €1,678.65 works out at €26.22 a day over 64 days, not the highest price in Europe for domestic use but the highest in the world. Is it any wonder that a third of all households are experiencing energy poverty? The Government and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, need to get the finger out and deal with these energy companies, which are making massive profits on the back of pensioners and the Irish public in a cost-of-living crisis

I have had the same experience the Deputy has had and have met many people in my constituency who have been really shocked by some of the utility bills that have landed in their letterboxes in recent weeks. These are the winter bills. They are extremely high. Unfortunately, there is another one on the way. The Government is acting. We have extended the 9% VAT rate on electricity and gas until the end of October. There is another €200 energy credit on the way and, of course, we have provided for targeted welfare payments to increase pensions, increase the fuel allowance and widen eligibility for the fuel allowance, among other actions, and we will not stop here.

The next step is the introduction of a windfall tax so that we can take back some of the profits of the energy companies and give them to people to help them with their bills.