Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious that funerals are taking place again for three of the victims of last Friday's terrible tragedy in Creeslough. I want to convey my personal and deepest sympathies to all of those who have been bereaved and to the wider community. I know the funeral of James O’Flaherty is taking place at this moment and this afternoon funeral mass will be held for Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.

I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising the issue of the cost of living and, in particular, the issue of the vital continuation of electricity supply for households all over Ireland. I acknowledge that a lot of people are worried because the level of inflation is at a 40-year high. We have had a raft of utility bill increases announced, which in many instances have only kicked in during recent weeks, and this coincides with a time when people will be using more energy when the days are shorter and the nights are getting colder.

That is why the Government has responded in what we believe is a very fair and genuine way in the context of the overall budget package of €11 billion we announced two weeks ago. Individuals in apartments and houses all over the country want to know what it means for them. Talking about billions is of little comfort when you are worried about the next bill. The Government completely understands this. That is why, yesterday, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and I put flesh on the bones by laying out the specific payment dates for a range of payments through the social protection system that amount to some €1.2 billion. Those payments, which will start next week and which will conclude in early December, are for people who are among the most vulnerable, including older people, those living alone, carers, people on disability allowance and invalidity payments, and working family payment recipients, who are low-income working families.

We are going much further than all of that in the budget, with increases in core weekly rates that will kick in on 1 January and an expansion of eligibility for the fuel allowance for 80,000-plus pensioners and others on low levels of income. In addition, there are the three €200 electricity credits, the rental tax credit this year and next, a significant income tax package that will benefit hundreds of thousands of workers all over Ireland, a once-off reduction in the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, fee and improvements in maintenance grants, a reduction in childcare fees that will commence next year, free schoolbooks at primary level, the extension of GP visit cards to hundreds of thousands of people, the elimination of hospital charges, the extension of reduced public transport fares and so on. That is just to give an overview of the range of measures we are funding within the overall package.

The Deputy raised a specific issue that is of concern to many people. As she knows, the one-month pause in disconnections generally for non-payment has been extended to three months. She is correct that for vulnerable customers, the pause in disconnections for non-payment has been extended to six months. As the Taoiseach said yesterday, work is being progressed by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, to waive the fee to enable people to switch from pay-as-you-go payments to bill pay in order to allow people to avail of the protections that are available for vulnerable customers. In addition, the CRU has directed that all customers with a financial hardship meter, that is, pay-as-you-go customers, must be placed on the cheapest tariff available from their supplier from 1 December. Individual utility companies all have specific hardship funds that are available as well. A change has also been made to allow for a reduced payment for legacy debt reduction, allowing people to pay for new supply and for energy that continues to be provided. Of course, we will continue to fund the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, and our Intreo offices through the exceptional needs payment. I will respond further presently.

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