The Taoiseach can stand up in the D\u00e1il and give chapter and verse of how much money has already been pumped into easing the financial stress on people trying to pay their escalating energy bills. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s something he does every day now at Leaders\u2019 Questions as the byelections approach and the Opposition goes all out to keep the fuel crisis and the Government\u2019s handling of it to the forefront of voters\u2019 minds.<\/p>\n
Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> talks about the reduction of VAT<\/a> on electricity charges, extending the fuel allowance and deferring carbon tax increases. He talks about the package of measures introduced to alleviate pressures on people in general and on the food production and haulage sectors in particular. <\/p>\n Those \u201cjust announced\u201d supports are worth upwards of three-quarters-of-a-billion euro, he reminded the D\u00e1il on Wednesday. <\/p>\n And he will keep doing it, not that it matters how much money has been recently spent to tackle the domestic fallout from the global fuel crisis. <\/p>\n As Miche\u00e1l knows all too well at this stage: heating bread is soon forgotten. <\/p>\n The less-than-surprising news that Ireland now has the most expensive electricity in Europe was grist to the Opposition mill, providing further ammunition for its concerted push to squeeze a mini-budget out of the Coalition sooner rather than later while the Taoiseach and his troops dig in and hope to hold out until the actual budget in October. <\/p>\n Sinn F\u00e9in<\/a> leader Mary Lou McDonald<\/a> reiterated her call for an emergency budget. <\/p>\n Later on, Labour\u2019s<\/a> Duncan Smith<\/a> went one further and called for an emergency debate and a mini-budget. <\/p>\n Holly Cairns<\/a>, the leader of the Social Democrats<\/a>, called for \u201cemergency supports today and solutions for tomorrow\u201d to cushion households from future energy shocks, suggesting Martin might adopt her party\u2019s \u201ccomprehensive plan\u201d to fill the gap. <\/p>\n A mini-budget can\u2019t come fast enough for the Opposition. <\/p>\n Mary Lou McDonald, in her usual understated way, said Miche\u00e1l had to respond to the people under pressure. But when? <\/p>\n \u201cNow \u2013 not next October, not next January. Now, in May. Now, as these bills are landing. Now, as families are under this level of pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n While the other party leaders also focused on the shocking cost of electricity and the latest price rises, they concentrated more on solutions. <\/p>\n Holly Cairns and her Labour counterpart, Ivana Bacik, agreed that renewable energy was the way forward and were scathing in their criticism of the Government\u2019s despairingly slow attempts to put an effective wind and solar energy plan in place. <\/p>\n Holly said the Soc Dems\u2019 plan included \u201cSolar for All\u201d \u2013 which would make solar panels free for the homes most at risk of energy poverty, improve grants and roll out plug-in solar. <\/p>\n It would make a huge difference to people\u2019s lives if they could simply plug in \u201cpanels from their balconies and watch their bills fall\u201d. <\/p>\n It\u2019s practical and achievable, so why is the Government not doing it? <\/p>\n Ivana wasn\u2019t impressed by the Taoiseach\u2019s recent musings on nuclear power and the \u201charebrained notion\u201d from his backbencher James O\u2019Connor that it \u201csomehow represents a solution to the crushing cost of energy here\u201d when it takes a minimum of 15 years to get going. <\/p>\n Why can\u2019t we be more like Spain and ramp up renewable energy?<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems that Fianna F\u00e1il<\/a> are the Don Quixote of Irish politics: you\u2019re frightened of windmills.\u201d <\/p>\n Even Miche\u00e1l laughed, at first, before disputing her charge and her \u201csilly\u201d Don Quixote statement and \u201call that nonsense\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been driving renewables for quite some time,\u201d he replied, supplying a lot of detail about all of the important things that are almost done.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the Critical Infrastructure Bill will be very significant.\u201d<\/p>\n Ken O\u2019Flynn, of Independent Ireland<\/a>, went down the nuclear energy<\/a> path, too. If Ireland is taking nuclear energy from France as soon as the interconnector between the two countries is up and running then why not lift the ban on producing the same energy at home?<\/p>\n The Sinn F\u00e9in leader, as always, stuck with her predictable mix of sound, fury and furious soundbites. <\/p>\n She explained Miche\u00e1l\u2019s response to the punitive electricity prices to him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou come up blank and all you offer is spoof and distraction. When will you intervene? You really are a Do Nothing Taoiseach.\u201d<\/p>\n She usually gives out to him about his \u201cDo Nothing D\u00e1il\u201d, which would have been apt on Tuesday. Because of the bank holiday, it didn\u2019t sit on Tuesday and only resumed at 2pm on Wednesday. Business finished before 8pm. <\/p>\n As for her latest brickbat, Miche\u00e1l wasn\u2019t having it.<\/p>\n \u201cNo disrespect, Deputy, to you and your party, but you are the personification of spoof and bluster,\u201d he said to loud backbench approval.<\/p>\n Had they implemented Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s suggested measures in the October budget then \u201cinflation would be close to 5 per cent now\u201d, he told her. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have already acted and you know that \u20ac750 million package is not spoof\u201d but \u201creal funding\u201d for people in the food production sector such as farmers, contractors and hauliers. <\/p>\n \u201cIt might be spoof to you because you are a Johnny-come-lately when it comes to the farming world…\u201d he snarked.<\/p>\n Mary Lou reached for the smelling salts. \u201cPardon me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 but it\u2019s not spoof to the people benefiting from it.\u201d <\/p>\n