Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald calls for urgent measures, including the reinstatement of energy credits, as electricity and gas increases come into force for over a million customers.

She said the government must move quickly to protect households from rising electricity and gas bills, with price hikes affecting more than one million customers taking effect.

Teachta McDonald said: "The decision to increase electricity and gas prices for more than one million customers from today is another hammer blow for working people and families already under enormous financial pressure.

"Irish households already pay the highest electricity prices in the European Union, yet they are now being asked to absorb increases of between 8% and 11% while energy companies continue to make massive profits. "At a time when rents, food costs, childcare and insurance bills continue to rise, these increases will push many more families to breaking point.

"Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have known for weeks that these price hikes were coming but have chosen to stand back and do nothing. That is simply not good enough.

"Energy is an essential service. It must be affordable. The government should be intervening to stop the rip off and to rein in excessive profits, drive down energy costs and provide immediate relief to households by reinstating energy credits while costs remain unaffordably high.

"More than half a million household energy accounts are already in arrears. Today's increases will deepen that crisis unless the government acts.

"Families need action now. The government must step in, protect consumers from excessive price increases and ensure that no household is left carrying the burden of profiteering in the energy market."