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

On the phasing out of fossil fuels, that is something that all parties in this House and across the Oireachtas have signed up to and it is critically important that we continue that trajectory. That said, there is no doubt that the transition needs to be managed and that is something of which the Government is cognisant. We are mindful of the fact that we need to support families through the crisis that has hit us all.

The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and her Department have not been found wanting in terms of trying to ensure that supports are put in place to protect vulnerable households. As part of budget 2022, the annual increase of €5 per week in the fuel allowance had an immediate effect in bringing up the weekly rate to €33. This, coupled with the additional measures that the Minister introduced, is part of a broader suite of progressive measures that the Government is considering. The Taoiseach was speaking about this in the Dáil earlier. We are continuing to review the situation to see what additional supports we can put in place to ensure that families can meet these challenges. There is no doubt that this is a real challenge for Government. Our capacity to address these issues is limited but we have been progressive to date. We will continue to evaluate, monitor and support people in whatever ways we can.