Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

Will the Minister accept that establishing another interdepartmental committee is not reassuring? Will he agree that real change requires resourcing and money? Will he accept that increasing the fuel allowance by €2 and providing it for two extra weeks is marginal in terms of benefits that will be felt by the 60,000 people living in fuel poverty? Is the Minister aware that the Institute of Public Health reckons that up to 2,000 people die prematurely each winter because of fuel poverty? Does he have any understanding of the impact of the savage increases in the cost of electricity, gas and home heating experienced by these households?

The Minister stated something of which I was not aware, namely, that funding for the warmer homes scheme would come from the ESB and Bord Gáis. What exactly does this mean? These organisations are being treated like cash cows by the Government. The amount of money coming in on an annual basis has increased significantly and now the ESB and Bord Gáis customers must pay for the fact that the Government has not provided for people living in fuel poverty. Will the Minister explain how much is involved in the commitment he just made?

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