Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

I am pleased with the new measures we have been able to introduce. We in this House are all agreed on the need for the upcoming budget to make progress on helping those who heretofore have been caught in the fuel poverty trap. In previous years, agencies working in this area have claimed that as many as 6% of Irish people went without heating at some stage in the past two years. We must put an end to that. A recent World Health Organisation report on social equity and the social determinants of health indicates that 17% of households were unable to provide adequate heat in their homes due to a combination of low income and energy inefficient housing.

However, this is beginning to change. We must ensure that no elderly person is reluctant to ensure an adequately heated home because of concerns about the cost. Findings show that improved central heating and insulation are the keys to cutting down on household expenditure on fuel. The Government provides a considerable allocation each year for the provision of electricity and gas allowance to those on social welfare. Some 2,290 households benefit from the national fuel allowance. However, more can be done, particularly at a time of high energy costs when priorities come into sharper focus because of diminished revenue.

Many speakers have observed that one of the root causes of fuel poverty is poor standards of energy efficiency. Many measures are being introduced by the Minister, Deputy Ryan, in this regard, including the expansion of the home energy saving schemes, particularly for low income households, through Sustainable Energy Ireland, and the roll-out of smart metering which will help people calculate and calibrate the quantity of energy used. People, even those on low incomes, are keen to get involved in these energy saving initiatives. There are well thought out measures such as the new building regulations introduced by the Minister, Deputy John Gormley, which will ensure 40% greater energy efficiency, and will prevent householders from being subjected to the threat of fuel poverty. I hope that local authorities, even on their diminished budgets, will be able to retrofit much of the poorer social housing which certainly needs to be upgraded in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny.

We are putting behind us the three jumper winter, the scrimping on electricity use and the fear of spending income on basics such as heat and food. These sentiments should be relegated to the past and I hope this year's budget will help by increasing spending on those issues. That is why others in the Green Party and I will not allow fuel poverty and the raiding of pensions to be part of any recession. That is why with smart energy efficient measures these initiatives are making real improvements in the quality of life. There are warmer and better homes.

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