Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The amendment proposes to establish a committee that will look into ways in which future schemes may be targeted at individuals who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty or who are financially vulnerable.

I like this proposal and I think it is a good idea. The Department has already set up such a committee, however, about which I will tell Deputies something. I propose to reject the amendment rather than the proposal itself. I acknowledge that, of course, it is a good proposal. I want first to say something about energy poverty. It is a complex issue that is linked to a household's income, the energy performance of a home and the cost of the energy used to heat, power and ventilate a house.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications published the review of the strategy to combat energy poverty on 3 August alongside a public consultation. The review showed strong delivery, with many of the original actions exceeded. Public consultation closed on 5 September and the responses received are informing the development of a new action plan to combat energy poverty. The action plan will set out a range of materials to be implemented ahead of the coming winter as well as key longer term measures to ensure those least able to afford increased energy costs are supported and protected. It is intended the new plan will be published in the coming weeks. A cross-departmental steering group chaired by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which includes the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and bodies such as the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, the regulator and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, is now developing this new action plan.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is also engaging with NGOs such as the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Alone. The group will also work with the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, as part of a research project to improve the measurement and monitoring of energy poverty in Ireland and provide insights to enhance policy design of such measures to protect vulnerable households. Therefore, while I am not accepting the amendment, my officials will continue to liaise with this group, and they will develop a new energy poverty action plan to deal with the issues raised here. On this basis, I propose to reject the amendment.

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