Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The current allowance for free fuel and the various supplementary social welfare schemes in place to assist low income families will be available and cover the period from autumn to March, which is the period when people are most in need of heating requirements. Therefore, the question of the provision of that scheme will be provided for in the normal way from then on. In the meantime, if there are any hardship cases, the exceptional needs payments scheme continues to be available.

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