Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This morning we heard first-hand stories of families struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills. According to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the average cost of energy bills has increased by €500 per year. Working families and those out of work are simply unable to meet the spiralling costs of gas and electricity. When one hears their stories, they are heartbreaking. In my constituency I have met young mothers who have gone without gas or electricity. I have spoken to fathers hit by wage cuts and tax hikes who have seen their arrears spiral out of control. Many of these families were forced to make a choice between feeding their children or paying their energy bills. The arrears mounted up and the sleepless nights increased. What has been the response of the Government to this? A Labour Party Minister cut the smokeless fuel supplement, increasing costs for people living in cities. A Labour Party Minister cut the fuel allowance payment period by six weeks, wrenching €120 out of the pockets of families struggling to pay their fuel bills. A Labour Party Minister sat back and did nothing as the regulator hiked up gas and electricity costs; as a result, the arrears mount and the sleepless nights increase. Given the Tánaiste's commitment to fairness, as expressed this morning, will he tell these struggling families how he will help them to meet their gas and electricity bills in budget 2014?

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