Windfall Tax on the Excess Profits of Energy Companies: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-30
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Mattie McGrath (IND), Tipperary South

I too support the motion. Families across Ireland are at breaking point with the cost of fuel and all of the taxes. Households struggle to pay bills. There are higher energy costs and a carbon tax. It is an injustice. At a time when exceptional profits arise from extraordinary market conditions rather than increasing productivity or investment, it is reasonable that the State provides some kind of fair contribution to the ordinary people.
I live in the lush land of south Tipperary where we make Bulmers cider. My late father and many other farmers planted apples in the sixties. In October, or a day or two before, there would be a large windfall of apples. We picked the windfalls the day after as young boys and girls and brought a trailer of apples to Clonmel to make lovely cider. A windfall tax is only logical to put some money back in people's pockets and be reasonable.
Large data centres are using energy. Someone said they pay a lot of rates, and they do, but there is no fairness and balance. We need a windfall tax to bring back some fairness at a time when people make money from extraordinary events, rather than due to their own business acumen, productivity or anything else. The Government is raking it in with taxes. It is time to play fair with the Irish people, who are fair and fine people and want a modicum of support and respect. This is an ideal opportunity and is something the Government could do to put some money back in people's pockets. What is in their pockets is already spent. People will use their money wisely in the economy.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-30