Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, an Teachta O'Rourke, for bringing forward this motion and providing us with an opportunity to have this very important debate.

The Minister of State referred to all of us being on the same page. We are not really all on the same page, though, are we? Some of us are not even in the same book if truth be told. On the Minister of State's page, there are 9,000 people waiting up to 27 months to avail of the better energy warmer homes scheme. On his page, a wealthy household can access up to €25,000 worth of taxpayer-funded grants, while those on low or ordinary incomes are locked out. So, no, we are not all on the same page and, as I have said, we are not even in the same book sometimes. I genuinely wonder if Ministers hold constituency clinics and, if they do, whether they see how people are suffering. Have their constituents brought them their electricity and gas bills and explained what they are doing? Are they aware of the indignity people are living with during this energy crisis?

They are standing in a shop for longer than they need just to stay warm. If they are retired, they are getting money off their kids just to pay their heating bills or they are planning to go to bed at 5 o'clock or 6 o'clock in the evening just to stay warm. We need to be ambitious. The Minister talks a lot about the need to be ambitious but we also need to look at where people are. They are not on the same page as the Minister. He needs to recognise that. They need urgent interventions, they need support now and they need to know they will get through the winter. They cannot fuel their houses with ambitions. They cannot pay their bills with the Minister's ambitions. They need direct action.

That was the purpose of this motion. We need to ensure that people can be warm in their homes. The Minister referenced people being warm and cosy in their homes but that is just a pipe dream for many people as we head into winter. This is not in any way personal but I am genuinely worried for where people are at, for the impact this will have on their mental health and for the impact this will have on their families. I encourage the Minister, the Minister of State and their colleagues in government to act. It is instructive to note that the Minister's Government partners have not sufficient interest to come in and speak on this motion this evening. I would encourage them all to talk to people in their communities and to use the information they obtain, plus the motion we have brought this evening, to put in place measures that will make a real and meaningful difference to people who are now dreading this winter.

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