Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Those measures will get many pay-as-you-go customers through this winter, no doubt, but will they get all pay-as-you-go customers through the winter? I do not believe that is the case nor do I believe the Taoiseach believes it to be the case either. He said that the fee has been waived for pay-as-you-go customers who want to transfer to bill-pay if they are vulnerable. That is very good but it is for medically vulnerable people. The fee has been waived for people who have sleep apnoea and need to use a CPAP machine at night but what about people who are financially vulnerable? What about people who are living in poverty? As of now, such people do not have the right to transfer from pay-as-you-go to bill-pay without paying penalties. These penalties are very considerable. Does the Taoiseach know what the penalty charge for pay-as-you-go customers who are financially vulnerable and living in poverty and who want to switch to bill-pay is? It is €199. The charges have been removed for those who are medically vulnerable. Will they be removed for those who are financially vulnerable? Will they be removed for all? This has to be a moratorium for all and not just for some.

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