Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The Minister began his contribution by saying that nobody in this House had a monopoly on caring. Surely, if this Government cared, the one most basic thing it would do is to ensure that a ban on disconnections is introduced in the State as a very basic measure to show that this Government cares as people face into an unprecedented winter in many cases. I find it quite incredible that in the midst of one of the greatest energy crisis that many of us will have seen and lived through, that it is up to the Opposition to bring forward a motion to seek action from the Government for basic protections for households. I say basic because we are talking about households having electricity and heating.

The asks in our motion are the difference between being able to turn on the lights or to be in the dark, or being able to turn on the heating or being cold in one’s own home. Earlier this month, which has been referred to earlier, the Taoiseach committed that the Government will not allow people on pay-as-you-go energy meters to be disconnected over the winter. This was a big and welcome commitment but there has been no action from Government to date to make that happen. These are just words.

The planned ban on disconnection from 1 December is too late. We have already seen over 1,000 domestic disconnections in the first half of this year alone and that is before we even come to the winter period and to the worst that is to come in the energy crisis. The message from the Government, despite all of that, is to wait. I have to make this point, and I have made it many times, that the solution is not additional needs payments through the Department of Social Protection. That is an assistance, is one assistance for people, and one may get it or may not. In the past month, I received a reply from the Department to tell me that 95% of additional needs payments applications were being finalised within five to eight weeks. Can you imagine having to wait two months for a payment from the Department of Social Protection if one has a utility bill? Only now is recruitment being looked at.

Community welfare officers are being centralised and people cannot walk in as they could before. I raised the need to put the application form online in July and that is still being examined by the Department. The motion before us is very important and the Minister should accept it and implement the proposals in it.

See this speech in context