Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

Do not be cold this winter. Does the Tánaiste listen to the facts? Does he not listen to what is being said by the CRU and the hard, unvarnished facts? Seventy thousand more households, more families, more individuals - real people - could not pay their electricity bill in the first six months of this year. The record number we are seeing is from the middle of July, the warmest month of the year. There are not just more people than ever before who are in electricity and gas arrears, but the amount by which they are in arrears has also increased. This has happened even with the energy credits supplied last year. The Government's response has been to withdraw those energy credits. How in the name of God does the Tánaiste think these families are going to survive? How does he think they are going to meet their needs this winter? He is telling them not to go cold this winter but people are cold today. People are making these real-life decisions today not to turn on the heat in their house.

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