Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for her detailed answer. We know these cuts will start impinging greatly on the elderly. The cuts in the benefits package for fuel allowance will reduce payments to pensioners and other social welfare recipients by €20 a month and up to €35 in the winter months.

I welcome the Minister's comment that the price increase in electricity is to be absorbed by the Department and will not affect the household benefit package. However, she also stated that the cost of that in the past five years alone has doubled which means the benefit to the providers has also doubled; the suppliers' incomes and profits have doubled.

When these cuts came into effect some months ago we spoke about the Department's continued negotiations with the providers to get a discount and while that might be clouded by virtue of the increase not being passed on it should go even further. There should be a discount to this State for the amount of funding being put into that sector and it is only right and proper that they come back to us with a recommendation in that regard.

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