Energy bill support
Deputy Kerrane pressed for the €100 electricity support to be brought forward before Christmas for families facing sharply higher bills. The Minister said the measure adds to existing budget supports and reflects wider pressure from fuel and electricity costs.
Hard-pressed families cannot continue to wait for support when it comes to soaring energy bills. The €100 support announced by the Government earlier this week is welcome, but it is modest. The Irish Examiner reported last week that some households are facing bills of over an extra €1,000 for electricity and gas next year. While this €100 support will bring some relief, we need to see it this side of Christmas. It really is ridiculous that the Government is not willing to push this forward now when people need it, rather than kicking the can down the road into next year. Last month, I published a cost of living report, as part of which over 14,000 people responded to a survey. One comment from a mother said:
We are a family of four. Our electricity bill has gone, on average, from €160 to €210 in the last three months. We are so terrified for this winter with rising costs and we have not filled the oil tank yet.
People are struggling right now and need support right now. They cannot wait until next spring for that support.
Comment on this
The Government absolutely acknowledges that many individuals and families are under pressure at this time, particularly with rising fuel costs and electricity costs and so on. It is important to say that the measure we agreed at Cabinet on Tuesday to provide a rebate or a discount, as such, of €100 off every domestic electricity bill is in addition to the targeted measures that were introduced in the budget last October. Unusually, those changes in respect of the fuel allowance and indeed, in relation to the means test and the eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance, kicked in immediately. That involved a €5 increase from budget night on the weekly rate of the fuel allowance. We increased the income threshold and recipients of jobseeker's allowance and supplementary welfare allowance now may qualify for fuel allowance after 12 months, reduced from 15 months. We will execute this new payment through the electricity bill as soon as we possibly can, because we recognise that people are under pressure.