Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I am on the board of the Canal Communities Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force. At our last meeting, one of the project co-ordinators raised a serious issue that will impact on Turas Training, the project on which he is a co-ordinator. It is based on Old Naas Road in Dublin 12. Turas Training was founded in 2000 is funded by the HSE under section 39 and by the Department of Social Protection. It is a registered charity that rents a 3,500 sq. ft premises and delivers a comprehensive day programme for people in recovery from addiction.

Given that the lease renewal was due, he had written to the landlord advising that the Department of Health was making funding available to assist voluntary organisations like his with utility bills in light of increases in the cost of living, including energy prices, but that the HSE had said that it had not been provided with any detail of Government support.

The reply he received from the landlord was shocking. According to the landlord, when the lease was previously renewed, electricity usage was estimated to be approximately €6,000 per annum, which was factored into the rent and based on an expected usage of 36,000 kW during the year at 16.5 cent per kWh. Over the preceding 18 months, with the one-year fixed-rate exceeding 60 cent per kWh, it would have been difficult to estimate what the average cost would be over the next 12 months, given the volatility of the market. Notwithstanding the above, the landlord stated that the current rate was 54 cent per kWh, which would equate to €19,500 based on the unit's estimated usage, which the landlord felt was a reasonable guesstimate of the levels to be expected.

Electricity has increased from 16.5 cent per kWh to 54 cent per kWh and from €6,000 to €19,500 per annum The €6,000 was paid for from core funding. If that core funding does not increase to meet the estimated increase of €13,000 to €14,000, the service will be in significant trouble. There is no fat in the service's funding to cope with this and it cannot be met by cutting programme or training costs or anything else, as its audited accounts show. It has upgraded the heaters and lights in the building to reduce power usage. Without additional funding, though, the service has no way of meeting the increased cost of high energy prices.

This service is just one example of the projects facing the energy and cost-of-living crises. The situation will impact on many other projects and voluntary organisations. The service is not a business. A number of Deputies have raised the plight of businesses, including hauliers, nursing homes, etc., but these projects are unique and working off fixed budgets to support the most vulnerable in our society. What finance has the Government put in place to support these section 39 projects and voluntary organisations with the massive increase in their energy bills?

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