Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

On 29 September, I asked the Tánaiste whether pay-as-you-go customers were included in the winter moratorium on electricity and gas disconnections. Effectively, he said "No". That question and answer opened this controversy and 19 days later the Government has failed to put the issue to bed. The Taoiseach said at first that people should engage with the Department of Social Protection. Ministers then started saying that people should engage with their energy providers. One energy provider, Electric Ireland, came before an Oireachtas joint committee and informed its members that it had a hardship fund of €3 million. The entity was roundly criticised, and rightly so, for having such a relatively small sum in that fund. How much money do the private energy companies have in their hardship funds?

On Wednesday, 12 October, I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who has responsibility for energy. I asked him to provide me with information as to the amounts in the hardship funds of each of the gas and electricity utility companies. The Minister replied that: "I am aware that electricity and gas suppliers have set up hardship funds which provide exceptional financial support to those in need". In his reply, however, he did not answer the question as to how much money is in each of these funds. Is it €3 million or is it €5? We are none the wiser. There was not a word from the Minister on this issue. Why?

The Minister is engaged, he tells us, in a round of consultations with the energy providers. Has he even bothered to ask them this question? Do all these companies have hardship funds? The PrepayPower website, for example, makes no reference whatsoever to one. I am, therefore, asking the Minister whether this company has a hardship fund. When he met its representatives, did he even ask if it had one? We should be told. I want to know and members of the public want to know.

The Government has created quite a contradiction for itself today by now supporting a winter evictions ban but not supporting an across-the-board winter disconnections ban. Why support one and not the other? This issue is not going to go away.

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