Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)

I appreciate that the Minister of State is here. She listed the qualities of the scheme, including flexibility and so forth. However, here is the thing: ESB Networks considers Diane to be a vulnerable customer. It has put her in the category of a person who should not have her electricity cut off because she is a vulnerable customer and person, not due to any wrongdoing on her part. It is because she is sick. She has not done anything wrong. Some 16,000 people are homeless. She does not want to have to join them. However, it seems that the scheme is not fit for purpose if it is not able to encompass people who have a need of that nature. If it is the case that she cannot pay her mortgage, we both know what the consequences will be. The State will have to examine emergency accommodation. I can tell the Minister of State now that her health needs are such that emergency accommodation would not be appropriate for her. She is not eligible to go onto the social housing list because she currently owns a home. The point I am making is that there are lived realities for people. This is the scheme of last resort, and this is her last resort. The first thing she did was not to pick up the phone to me. She has tried everything.

It is not the case that she has just simply picked up the phone. She has been trying to fight this herself but it is really hard.

I will send the details to the Minister's office but I also ask that the Minister of State would raise with the Minister for Social Protection the need for not just flexibility but responsiveness to the lived reality of people.

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