Minister of State and Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne said legislation regarding windfall tax on energy companies will be brought in over the next few weeks and it will apply to revenue made last year.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, he also said he is not in favour of disconnections being allowed while people are dealing with "super normal" bills.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said there is no way you could get rid of that moratorium while people are trying to heat their homes and keep the lights on.
He said people are being "price gouged" and that around 30% of the population are facing fuel poverty.
He criticised the Government for not fixing prices and decoupling the price of gas and electricity so the price of electricity is not based on the price of gas.
Deputy Byrne said the only way to do that is to reduce the amount of gas Ireland uses to create electricity and to create more renewable energy.
"And that brings a responsibility on all of us."
He said there is a need for a change on mindset as currently there is a dependence on importing gas.
'There has to be a mistake' - shock as electricity bills arrive
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Deputy Byrne acknowledged the problem for people with energy prices but said the Government has really responded to the crisis.
He said a levy on super normal profits and the levy on natural gas will be one of the highest in the EU.
"That money will be available for energy measures and I hope that some of it can go back into people that badly need it."
He also said it is about energy companies having to respond to make sure they are passing savings on to customers where they can.
Deputy Tóibín said the Government has been talking about windfall tax since last June and since then other countries have brought it in and harvested billions of euros worth of tax to put into people's pockets.
"And this Government is still talking about it."
He said the most frustrating thing is that the energy companies are seeing their profits surge as people struggle.
