Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is asking questions which are way above my pay grade. The point I want to put to the Minister is that not everybody gets a fuel allowance. For example, what about somebody on jobseeker's allowance? What about a pensioner who is not living alone and, therefore, will not qualify for the living alone allowance? What about those on invalidity pension, disability allowance, single parents etc.? They are not compensated for the increase in carbon tax by the fuel allowance increase. The Minister will be aware that because their rates did not rise, they are not compensated for inflation either and inflation for that group tends to be rather higher than the headline figure of inflation. Is it not true to say that those who are already living in poverty or at risk of poverty will be suffering from a double whammy? They have got no increase in their basic allowance and they cannot benefit from the increase in fuel allowance because they do not get it.

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