Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On that point, it is time the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, who is responsible for energy, look at this issue on a pan-European level. This issue is not just going to be in Ireland; it is going to be everywhere. The Minister might update the House on what the Government has done in that regard. This is coming down the track very quickly. We are going to have a crisis in this country in the coming weeks and months. It is quite obvious, with inflation and the cost of utility bills, that people are not going to be able to afford them. It is in that zone that I know the Government is going to make increases in the budget, which I welcome. Kites are flying, and that is fine. However, I want to make one thing very clear as regards the dates by which the Government will make these increases. We cannot postpone the winter. Eligibility criteria for fuel allowance increases in regard to the pension and other measures are going to have to be from budget time. They cannot be postponed until 1 January. While the Minister will not announce the budget here today and I respect that, will he at least give us an indication that he will consider that and not have it postponed until January?

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