Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I too want to lend my support to the secretarial assistants. As a former secretarial assistant who also worked in this House I am fully behind them and they need proper pay.

The main reason I stand in the Chamber this morning is to ask the Deputy Leader for a debate on energy and on our fuel and energy security. The hauliers are coming to Dublin today beeping their horns and highlighting the real problem we have in this country with the cost of fuel and of living. I heard on RTÉ that snow is expected for the next couple of days. That sends shivers down people’s spines in more ways than one as that they ask how will they be able to afford to heat their houses. Yesterday, we heard advice not to light fires. We need solutions, help and the fast-tracking of grants for people’s retrofits. I ask for a debate on energy, fuel and the potential for fuel poverty in this country because it is a significant issue and is growing every single week. People have the cost of oil for their cookers and a few bags of coal for their fire every week. This is a great amount of money to be spending on fuel every week with electricity and gas prices also going up. We need to see a plan as to how we are going to deal with this and help households. Go raibh maith agat.