Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish I had a contingency budget just sitting around for rainy days, but I thank the Deputy for his question. The fuel allowance is a payment of an extra €22.50 per week from October to April to more than 338,000 lower income households at an estimated cost to the Exchequer of €227 million in 2018. The purpose of the payment is to assist those households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards their energy costs only and is not intended to meet those costs in full. As the Deputy is aware, only one allowance is paid per household.

In budget 2018 and with the support of the Deputy's colleague, I extended the duration of the fuel allowance season by one week to 27 weeks, which is more than half of the year. That season is longer than the winter period in Ireland and provides assistance during what are largely colder weeks when heating costs are expected to be at a higher rate. We are having the most wonderful climate change reactions, however. One day it is lovely and warm and the next it is Baltic. The extension of our changing weather patterns needs to be reflected by a quick response from the Department. Given the severity of the weather changes in March, we were able to make an extra week's payment of €22.50, which was desperately needed. I have no further plans in this regard for this year's budget because I do not have a contingency or a reserve, but the Department is preparing a report on fuel poverty for discussion with the social protection committee. This is being done so that, if adjustments to the scheme are required, they can be made within the confines of the budgetary negotiations this year or next year.

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