Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Ahern should not really have given way.

I thank Deputy Daly. First, this is an interim report. It outlines a lot of actions that are to be taken. Many have been taken. It was published in advance of the budget so that we could look at the short-term measures we could take. We acknowledge the increased energy cost pressures on businesses and households and commit to bringing forward measures to contain energy costs and, importantly, to also tackle energy poverty.

We have already acted on that commitment. The 9% VAT currently applied to electricity and gas has been extended to 2030, resulting in a saving of approximately €100 per annum for the average household. The fuel allowance has been increased to €38 per week from January 2026. That equates to an increase of more than 15% and will provide an additional €140 to over 460,000 households during the annual fuel allowance season. As the Deputy may know, eligibility for the payment has been expanded to include those in receipt of the working family payment, approximately 50,000 extra households. These are targeted support measures.

The budget provided a record capital allocation of €558 million for the SEAI. That is for its retrofitting programme and energy upgrades including solar PV. It supports the delivery of our national retrofit programme, which has retrofitted nearly 260,000 homes already. That is a permanent measure. It is an €89 million increase on last year's budget allocation. That means more funding than ever is now available to make homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable and less expensive to heat. These are permanent changes. Analysis carried out by my Department and the SEAI indicates that a household can save between €750 and €1,120 per annum by making changes to their house through the retrofit programme.

I recently met with the four largest energy suppliers and, following these constructive meetings, the suppliers committed to ensuring that hardship funds and focused measures will now be in place for any customers who find themselves in difficulty this winter.

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