Micheál Martin defends advice on 'shorter showers' to tackle rising cost of living

The Taoiseach has defended the Government's approach to energy efficiency amid criticism of plans to tell people to take shorter showers and drive less. 

The Government is working on finalising a cost-of-living package to help households with spiralling costs but it is unlikely to contain any new financial support.

Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan will bring forward proposals for a public awareness campaign, outlining a range of easy-to-do measures to help people to reduce their use of energy and save money immediately. 

This would include advice around simple changes such as taking shorter showers, turning thermostats down by one degree, and only boiling only enough water as required — not a full kettle.

An emphasis will also be placed on using appliances at off-peak times to save money.

There will also be advice for motorists to drive less. 

The energy-saving tips have been criticised by the Opposition and by members of the public on social media, but speaking in Dublin this morning, Michéal Martin said that energy efficiency is "always a good idea".

"Energy efficiency makes sense any time of the year, crisis or no crisis. And let's not be so dismissive of that. Energy efficiency is an important issue. 

"We're putting so much money into homes to enable people to adapt to have greater energy efficiency, which means fewer costs for people.

"That's the sensible thing to do. So I have no issue with no energy efficiency proposals at all."

The Taoiseach said he was not going to be declarative on cuts to carbon taxes but added: "The carbon tax in the overall scheme of things is not as significant as the political debate around it would suggest. Let's be very honest about that.

"The issues are of a far greater scale than the carbon tax issue which was put into legislation to meet the existential crisis of our time."