Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I accept what the Minister said about low-income families. It goes without saying that there would be an allowance there but it is what happens over and above that which is the issue, as Deputy Murphy noted. Is the polluter pays principle at work here in the sense that an allowance will be calculated per the number of people in the household and anything beyond that refers to a charge? Has the Government agreed that concept? If so, can the Minister give some indication of what that percentage might be? We are in the dark again in this regard.