Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)

I thank the Minister. I commend his staff on the work they do. We had a meeting with the budgetary oversight committee yesterday and what it told us is that the lowest income families will be 4.3% worse off than they were last year. I know all these supports are welcome coming up to Christmas, but I worry about the 300,000 people who are in energy poverty already. More people are coming into the offices who are under pressure than ever before. Does the Minister think that more needs to be done for these and for single pensioners? Single pensioners have the same bills as two pensioners, bar food maybe, but they still have the same electricity costs, and mortgages if they have one, or whatever bills they have. The cost is nearly the same as a double pensioner. I know the Minister is going to say that they get the fuel allowance and other benefits, but I always feel that these people need a little bit more help.

The lowest 20% are going to be worse off than they were last year. These are mostly single parents. How do we give them a lift out of out of where they are?