Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It beggars belief that in 2021 we, as a society, are failing to fully protect citizens from fuel poverty and hypothermia. That should be the first duty of any republic. There are thousands of older people who survive solely on State pensions. There are thousands of families living on the minimum wage. There are thousands of small businesses that are all facing a bleak winter as a result of the significant rise in energy costs. The Government must act now.

Practical measures are required, such as extending the fuel allowance from 28 weeks to 30 weeks, a moratorium on utility disconnection and the establishment of a €5 million discretionary fund to help households that do not qualify for fuel allowance but will be in extreme difficulty trying to heat their homes and pay energy bills this winter. Constituents in Wexford have told me they must decide whether it is a heat day or an eat day. The ESRI has stated that a carbon tax will have a disproportionate and regressive effect on low-paid workers, old age pensioners and those with long-term medical conditions, adding that a 1% increase in fuel prices will bring fuel poverty up to 12%. The Government must heed these warnings and not increase the carbon tax in the budget.

Rural Ireland faces even more hardship because people in rural communities are more dependent on gas, coal and wood to keep their homes warm. A just transition is not offered, however. Microgeneration schemes would allow farmers in rural communities to generate their own power and possibly sell excess electricity back to the national grid. The evidence is written on the wall. We would do well to take a leaf out of the books of those of our European counterparts that have acted to protect their citizens, particularly Spain in its national strategy against fuel poverty. I ask the Government to act swiftly and responsibly and to do the right thing. I commend People Before Profit on introducing the motion.

See this speech in context