Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I agree with the Deputy that they are the issues that require to be crystallised because the scheme is a good one. We have not touched on the issue of fuel poverty, which, unfortunately, is a growing difficulty in that area. This scheme, which is separate from the scheme administered by the local authorities, makes a significant contribution.

In that regard, having welcomed the ESB's announcement yesterday, I was disappointed about an aspect of it. Deregulation in the marketplace finished yesterday and was accompanied by a statement from the ESB to make a not insignificant reduction in energy prices graded according to different categories but, unfortunately, people already in trouble were excluded from that. I am sure an element of that comprises customers who are recalcitrant in the sense of flitting from one company to another to evade their ESB or gas bills and I understand the ESB's response in respect of that small category. However, there are genuine people in difficulty as a result of fuel poverty, of having been disconnected and of their inability to pay their bills. I ask the ESB to re-examine whether it is not feasible to distinguish between those genuinely in need and those who simply are seeking to evade paying their normal tariff.

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