The Government will have to do more on energy price increases because people are feeling the pinch.
That's according to Deputy Brendan Smith who says he is shocked at the 35% price increase announced on Friday by SSE Airtricity.
The move will add €600 to the average annual electricity bill and over €510 to the average gas bill.
Deputy Smith says that energy prices can't continue rising because people are already at the pin of their collar.
He added that policy on the matter needs to be changed urgently and said more should have been done before plants were closed in the midlands in 2020.
"I was shocked to hear of that rise and the Government will have to do more," continued Deputy Smith.
"It's not an easy situation because there has been support provided to households.
"But we have a problem now in that small businesses are feeling the pinch and so too are individual households.
"There just cannot continue to be an increase in energy costs because that is not sustainable in any way."
