Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator again for his comments. I reiterate the Government's commitment to providing income supports to the most vulnerable, in particular in the context of the fuel allowance. This was demonstrated in last Tuesday's budget with rate increases for both the fuel allowance and the living alone allowance as well as extended eligibility for the fuel allowance for certain cohorts of long-term welfare recipients and an increase in the means threshold.

Other supports are available in addition to the fuel allowance. The household benefits package consists of a set of allowances which help with the cost of running a household and include allowances towards covering electricity or gas costs. Recipients, the majority of whom are pensioners, are paid €35 a month. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €195 million this year on the household benefits package to almost half a million customers.

The targeted flexible support provided to those in need by the supplementary welfare allowance must also be emphasised. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, exceptional needs payment may be made to help meet an essential once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources and this may include exceptional costs.

Of course, the best long-term approach is for Ireland to insulate customers from rising energy costs and that is to invest in energy-efficiency. Budget 2022 commits €202 million in carbon tax revenue to fund the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland residential and community retrofit schemes and a further €10 million from the Exchequer for the solar photovoltaic, PV, scheme. This investment will support more than 22,000 homes in energy upgrades, including more than 6,000 homes to building energy rating of B2. It will deliver warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes with lower energy bills.

Some €109 million under this €202 million allocation will be used to provide free energy efficiency upgrades to households that are in or at risk of energy poverty. more than 4,500 upgrades will be carried out under the SEAI scheme and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will invest a further €85 million as part of the local authority retrofit programme in 2022.

Having said all that, I accept that the issue the Senator has raised is a specific one. As he correctly said, it is an anomaly and I will certainly take that on board. I believe the Minister will provide a response on the specific issue the Senator quite rightly highlighted that could affect quite a large number of older and vulnerable people, in particular.