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

I am glad to see the Minister of State in the Chamber to take this debate. The Government was warned that the legislation it introduced previously was not going to be enough. It was warned by an Teachta O'Rourke and others in the Opposition and yet it persisted. It did not accept reasonable and decent amendments that were tabled at the time but chose to ignore them and press on. I hope that now we are again discussing this matter the Minister of State will see the value of the amendments tabled by an Teachta O'Rourke and supported by others in the Opposition.

The simple fact is we are back here again because ordinary people are facing a crisis in their homes, because this winter will be cold and because people will need support. We are again debating legislation, however, that will provide subventions for holiday homes. If people are lucky enough to earn a good income and to have multiple properties - many people in this House are although I am not one of them - they will get multiple subventions. That is simply not tenable. The Minister of State did not need a crystal ball to see what would happen. Just in case he did, it was advised by an Teachta O'Rourke, yet we are again discussing this. I hope the Government will take this opportunity to listen to those amendments that are tabled and to ensure that, as the Minister of State indicated: "The Government is keenly aware of the impact this is having on consumers and the need to [take] action at scale."

There are still people, such as Travellers on halting sites, who have not had the full benefit of the €200 credit. Before we even start, the Government has already left a significant portion of the population behind. Failure to acknowledge that means the Government is doomed to repeat the mistakes it made previously. It is not fair that people with multiple properties and holiday homes, however big or small they are, will benefit multiple times from this scheme, while people who desperately need it will not.

Some 346,000 households have prepay meters. We have been told by the Taoiseach that they will not be cut off but they want to know how this will happen. Amendments have been tabled by an Teachta O'Rourke. I urge the Government to take those on board and do right by the people on prepay meters in the same way it has seen fit to do by the people who own big holiday homes.

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