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

In case the Taoiseach is saying that the report the Society of St. Vincent de Paul issued this morning is some kind of fairy tale, I repeat that 140,000 children are cold this winter in the weeks leading up to Christmas. How does that make the Taoiseach feel? It makes me feel appalled.

I want to relocate where I believe the problem exists. The Taoiseach says the carbon tax is to change behaviour but he does not allow people to change their behaviour. People living in private rented accommodation cannot apply for SEAI grants and there is no compunction on landlords to have their homes up to standard. People living in council houses cannot apply for SEAI grants. The council must intervene and retrofit their homes. The Taoiseach, therefore, is penalising the most vulnerable and the poorest.

I will not repeat the statistics I read out at the start of my contribution but I wish to point out another major anomaly. Many people who move into council tenancy or buy their own homes are forced to go onto pre-pay power. A company known as PrePayPower Ireland released figures in November indicating that it has received a dividend in this country of €17.2 million.

That is outrageous when people are forced to use these cards. Yet, we have the highest rate of energy arrears in Europe. There is something desperately wrong when a company is making vast profits and ordinary people have to suffer in this way without any returns from the company to help alleviate the poverty and cold that children are experiencing this winter.

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