Labour Councillor John McDonagh in Galway City has called for urgent action to tackle rising energy costs and support struggling households following new figures from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU ) showing that almost 500,000 customers are now in electricity and gas bill arrears.
Cllr. John McDonagh said these figures are deeply worrying because they reflect what many people in Galway are already telling him.
“Families are cutting back on essentials, worrying about every bill that arrives through the door and struggling to keep up with rising energy costs.
“People in Galway are already dealing with high housing costs, childcare expenses, transport costs and rising grocery bills. Increasing electricity and gas prices are placing yet another strain on household budgets.
“For many families, there is simply no room left to absorb any further increases.”Energy is not a luxury – it is a basic necessity. Nobody in Galway should have to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table. Yet that is the reality facing far too many households today.”
He said that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot continue to ignore the warning signs.
“Every month that passes without action means more families falling into debt and more pressure on already stretched household finances. That is why Labour used its Dáil Private Members’ Time to call for an independent study into the impact of data centres on electricity prices, carbon emissions and grid stability, and for a moratorium on new data centres until offshore wind generation is fully operational and households and businesses can benefit from lower energy costs.
“Families in Galway deserve answers about why their bills continue to rise while major energy users continue to place increasing demands on our electricity system.
“Labour is calling on the Government to introduce targeted supports for households experiencing energy poverty, take meaningful action to reduce electricity costs, and put affordability back at the centre of energy policy,” he said.
