Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is probably very little of what the Deputies said that I do not agree with. We have to acknowledge that there are many people who are still experiencing difficulties in heating their homes, which is why we increased the fuel allowance period by one week this year. I would have loved to have been able to increase it by two or three weeks but we did not have the money. The commitment I will give the Deputies is that if I am here next year, it will go up further. I will probably have the legs cut off me, so to speak, for saying that because next year is next year but I say that because I cannot commit to doing a report as it does not fall within my remit.

However, a report entitled A Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty was released only last year. Apparently, it covers ambitions and recommendations to follow through from 2016 to 2020. It is a very comprehensive report and I can get the Deputies a copy of it if it would be helpful, not to be smart. However, if the Deputy presses the amendment and I lose on it today and I have to compile a report, it will not be me or my Department that will compile it. It will be the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. I then fall into a difficulty of the Deputy saying I have to have something done within three months when it will not be me who will be doing it but somebody else who will be doing it. I ask that between now and Report Stage the Deputy might read the other report to see if he is happy with the suggestions and recommendations in it. If there is anything in that report that he believes we can further progress, maybe by index-linking or something else, I would ask him to look at it that way.