Mobile homes and energy supports
Deputy O'Dowd said residents in mobile homes could not access energy credits or other supports because of how their utilities are arranged. The Taoiseach said he was frustrated by the injustice, had hoped an exceptional needs payment might solve it, and would keep working on a solution.
I first raised this issue in February of last year. Many of my constituents whose principal private residence is a mobile home are living in the ice age as regards heating them. They cannot afford to heat them, the homes have poor insulation, and many of these residents are in poor health or have disabilities and a number of them have fallen on hard times. They cannot benefit from the excellent Government scheme because they do not have their own individual electricity meter; the energy is supplied by the park owner. They cannot benefit from the exceptional needs payment because they cannot engage with an energy supplier, which is mandatory to get that benefit.
I have raised this with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, who has direct responsibility for it. I have raised it with the Central Statistics Office and the Minister’s Department. I am fed up, and these people are fed up with coming to me and not getting action. I urge the Taoiseach to ensure the Minister, Deputy Ryan, delivers on this. It is the Government's wish that these people would not be living in the ice age and could heat their mobile homes.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for reminding me of this issue. I am frustrated about it as well. For people whose mobile home is their home, it is their permanent home. It is where they are registered to vote and are registered for everything else. They have lost out on €600 in the form of an energy credit. I had hoped an exceptional needs payment might be the simple solution to it, because that would not require legislation, but I will follow up on it again. I acknowledge the injustice here and am keen to find a solution, which we will do.