Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. That report will be crucial. The Department will have to identify those people who, living predominantly on their own, must rely solely on their pensions to cover their living costs. All of the fuel allowance is accounted for, but some people are still not using their oil heating or putting on fires at various times of the day because the electricity allowance is not high enough to pay for it. We must use a number of approaches to identify these people, in particular elderly individuals. During the heavy snow fall in the last days of February and first days of March, our constituency offices received telephone calls asking what we could do to help people. When adverse weather threatens, the advice is to check on elderly neighbours and friends and vulnerable people. By and large, that gets done because we have a great community spirit, but the real issue - funding - is hidden well under the carpet.

I hope that the report will be finished in the short term and identify people who need the payment period to be extended.

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