John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is not what the Minister said in her contribution in January. She said she had found a back door to assess this. The evidence is all there and we know fuel costs have increased. In its pre-budget submission, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul told us that 48% of people went without heating in 2017 due to the cost. The society spends in the region of €4.3 million trying to help people in consistent poverty to keep their homes warm. While it is administered across a number of Departments, the fuel allowance is a key measure to alleviate fuel poverty. It could be done in a number of ways. Following cuts made over a number of years, the payment period for fuel allowance is down to 27 weeks. A key and quick measure would be reintroducing a 32 week period. A cold weather measure could also be introduced. Is that something which could be looked at, not on an ad hocbasis annually, but on a statutory basis?

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