Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies opposite for allowing the speedy passage of the Bill. Irish householders will be appreciative of it. While the Leas-Cheann Comhairle was reading out the Title I was watching how the officials were literally following the letter of the law because that is what we are drafting.

This legislation is not insignificant. It is a €1 billion payment to the Irish people from the Irish people to help us through the very difficult period we have in the world today with high energy prices. I thank the departmental officials for their work and help in delivering the Bill. I very much look forward to the Seanad debate and, I hope, the swift passage of the legislation. It will allow us to see payments for people's bills before Christmas.

We have seen the application of this mechanism in the past year and a half or two years when bills have been so high. When people are not able to pay electricity bills, the arrears tend to creep up. Every time we have applied this measure the most noticeable and dramatic effect is that it has allowed households to cope. It causes a dramatic drop in the number of households in arrears. It is for this reason it is significant and it is important that we get the letter of the law right.

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