Fuel poverty and heating support
Seamus Healy cites deaths linked to inadequate heating and rising St. Vincent de Paul assistance, urging reversal of cuts to free-fuel and electricity supports; the Chair directs him to table a parliamentary question.
Lack of heating kills 1,200 people in this country every year. That shocking fact was disclosed yesterday at a fuel poverty conference in Dublin. On top of that and despite the trebling of grant aid from St. Vincent de Paul-----
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I am going there, a Cheann Comhairle. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has trebled its support to elderly people who are in need of heating from €3.8 million in 2008 to €10.4 million last year. I ask the Taoiseach to take the opportunity presented by the fact that the Finance Bill is before the House this week-----
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-----to reverse the cuts to the free fuels------
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-----and electricity scheme.