Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I completely disagree with the Minister that the increase in fuel allowance will compensate people for the increases in carbon taxes. That is another story, about which we argue in the climate committee all the time. However, it is clear that the way in which the fuel allowance is allocated works against some people who are stuck for cash. Elderly or unwell couples come to me, as I am sure they come to other Deputies, who are €2 or €3 per week over the threshold for fuel allowance. That allowance would allow them to apply for schemes to retrofit their homes, get their attics lagged, or get their windows changed, but not having it compounds fuel poverty and drives it even deeper. We need to look at a wider cohort of the population that falls a little bit above the bracket determined by the Department, the ESRI, and others who do not understand what it is like to live with fuel poverty.

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