People 'more than justified in not paying' extortionate energy bills, claims Richard Boyd Barrett

TD says a €15bn cost-of-living package could be paid for by windfall taxes and increased tax on those earning €100,000 

Richard Boyd Barrett TD said: '[W]e would take it back from the wealthy in wealth taxes and in windfall taxes and increased levels of taxation for those earning over €100,000.  File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A €1,000 payment to every household in the country is among the measures contained in a €15bn cost-of-living package being proposed by People Before Profit-Solidarity.

The group also wants to cap energy bills at the price they were late last year, which would amount to a 25% reduction for households, and has called on the Government to take the energy sector back into public ownership.

Richard Boyd Barrett said people would be "more than justified" in not paying spiralling bills.

It is expected that the Government will announce a special package of mainly once-off measures amounting to between €1bn and  €2bn on budget day. However, PBP-Solidarity has called for a package which is many times more than this.

Speaking at the group's think-in in Dublin, Mr Boyd Barrett said a €1,000 payment to households would cost €2.5bn. However, the total package of measures the group is suggesting would cost around €15bn.

While the €1,000 subsidy would be universal, Mr Boyd Barrett said: "It's important to say that we would take it back from the wealthy in wealth taxes and in windfall taxes and increased levels of taxation for those earning over €100,000, so there'll be no windfall if you like for the very wealthy. 

Asked whether people should stop paying energy bills, he said: 

People would be more than justified in not paying what are extortionate or profiteering prices. 

"The problem is huge numbers of people most affected by the energy and cost of living crisis have pay-as-you-go so that if they don't pay for electricity and heating, they won't have any at all. 

"So that's not, for huge numbers of people, a viable option."

Cork TD Mick Barry said there is now a need for a public response, similar to the water charges protests, and urged people to attend a Cost of Living Coalition demonstration on September 24.

"Profits are at a record high. Wages and social welfare benefits lag way behind the rate of inflation," he said.

"The inflation crisis is transferring vast amounts of wealth from the majority to a small minority.