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Labour's Energy spokesperson Ciarán Ahern reports that 320,000 individuals in Ireland are unable to pay their energy bills, with 50,000 households in arrears by the end of 2025, a 20% increase from the previous year. He criticizes the government's removal of energy credits, arguing it has worsened energy poverty.

Ahern states that households pay up to 80% more for electricity than large energy users like data centers, which account for 50% of energy consumption in Dublin and Meath. He condemns the government's focus on data center subsidies at the expense of household energy needs and calls for urgent reforms in renewable energy infrastructure to address energy costs more effectively.