Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 3, before section 2, to insert the following new section:

2.—The Minister shall, within the next 12 months, review the Fuel Allowance payment and report to Dáil Éireann on the implications of increasing it substantially.".

The fuel allowance period was extended by one week in this budget but it was not extended by one cent. I would like to hear from the Minister on the way he intends to address that issue. We called for the fuel allowance period to be extended from 29 weeks to 34 weeks to bring it to the end of April, which would be a more realistic target given the Irish climate. We have also called for a €10 per week increase, which would reflect the true cost of fuel in this State. Fuel poverty remains with us and we see the effects of it on the most isolated groups in our society. Older people and lone parents in particular are unable to afford fuel and there are knock-on consequences on other parts of the system in terms of ill-health, additional doctor, hospital and accident and emergency visits, and so on. It also affects children's education because the lack of heating in their homes means they miss school due to colds, influenza and so on. It has a series of knock-on effects and I look forward to hearing the Minister's reply.

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