Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I naturally support the amendment proposed by my colleague, Deputy Bacik. From the perspective of further elaboration, the other cohorts and sections of society this amendment would affect, if adopted, are those, for example, who are living permanently in mobile home parks and those kinds of arrangements. There are facilities in my constituency, especially in east Meath, where people are in the same scenario outlined by Deputy Bacik. People are living in managed mobile homes or other forms of developments managed, in some cases, by a management company where the bills are paid in terms of an overall charge to the management company or to the owners of the site. The homes are metered by the owners of the site and tenants are charged an annual fee, essentially, but they do not have sight of the amount of electricity they might consume, for example. This is an issue. It affects a small minority of people but it is an issue. The amendment proposed by Deputy Bacik would also cover this kind of scenario.

It has been raised in the Dáil in previous weeks and there is a question of fairness for the residents concerned. They should be the beneficiaries of the €200 energy credit when it arises and is being paid. They should benefit from it and nobody else. At the very least, if this amendment was adopted, it would provide for greater transparency around how these issues are managed.

The fundamental principle is that it should be the occupier, the person who is paying the bill, who should receive the credit. It should not be like the scenario Deputy Bacik outlined in her remarks where it is the final customer. It is the occupier and person who pays the bill who should receive the credit; they should be the beneficiaries. The Minister of State will understand the logic of that and I look forward to his response, specifically on those issues that were raised because they have been raised by Government representatives as well. I am sure it is on the Minister of State's agenda and it is something I hope the Department officials have cast an eye over and have a fix for. We have presented what we believe is a realistic and practical way to address this and I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's position.

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