Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Ryan, has left because there is an issue I want to raise with him. I have raised it with the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, and my colleagues have referred to it on a number of occasions. That is the issue of the community welfare officer and the exceptional needs payment, which simply is not working. We cannot put on a radio or television programme or Dáil debate without hearing Government Ministers, Deputies or Senators telling people that if they are stuck with a bill, they should go to the community welfare officer for an exceptional needs payment. There is a ten-week wait for the community welfare officer in my local area. The staff there are working very hard but there is a ten-week wait for it. Across the State, according to the reply to a parliamentary question I received from the Minister, in the first four months of this year 1,001 people got payments towards their household bills, which included heating bills. It is simply not working and is simply not an option for most people.

I commend Deputy O'Rourke on tabling the motion and on all the work he has done on this issue in recent months, particularly since he was appointed our spokesperson. I commend those who are helping people in huge stress. The Government does not realise the stress and fear that many people are under. My local community centre stays open later and dinners do not finish until 5 p.m. People sit in the room because the heating is on and they do not want to go home because they do not want to heat up their own home as they are afraid of the bill. We have not hit the peak of winter yet so people are very concerned.

In the past 18 months, a litany of price hikes has been announced by energy companies. The hikes included in the latest tranche have put immense pressure on households up and down the country. Families are having to make unenviable choices when it comes to how to spend the money. There is no doubt we are in a cost-of-living crisis but there is a need for the Government to intervene to protect our citizens. I urge the Government to take the steps outlined during the debate to protect households from electricity and gas disconnections this winter. There is a serious worry among people, especially those who live in flat complexes, those renting privately and those on pay-as-you-go meters. There is no clarity as to what is going to happen, whether they are going to be disconnected and the choices they will have to make. What do people do if they are disconnected and cannot cook their food? The Minister has to do something.

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