Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. I support this Bill, as do all Members, despite the criticism, as far as I can understand. That is good because we need to move forward on this. I welcome the energy credits and accept everything is not perfect, but if one were to go down the road of separating customers with holiday homes from others, the credit would, according to the experts and others, be a long time coming to those who desperately need it.

Although everybody said the credit was not enough, nobody referred to the benefits of the fuel allowance. For example, it has now been announced that there will be a €400 top-up to the fuel allowance on 14 November, on top of the approximately €500 already being paid. The income threshold for the fuel allowance will increase by €80 from €120 to €200 in January 2023. For people aged over 70, the threshold will increase in January 2023 to €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. The disablement benefit and half-rate carer's allowance will be disregarded in the means test for the fuel allowance in January 2023. It is only fair, if one gives one side of the argument, to give the other side too. A genuine effort is being made by the Government to acknowledge and support people who would be in difficulty without its support. There will be six, seven or maybe eight different payments to people in the coming weeks to help them. That is only right. It is only right that the Government use the taxpayers' money it has collected to help people with their heating bills throughout the winter.

I do not agree at all with the capping of the energy prices because we are in a no-man's-land. The UK is going to be in real trouble over this. It has cost it £120 billion already. What will happen come January or February if it experiences the same kind of crisis? It will be a disaster for it. We will be moving to collect the windfall tax, which I hope will be redistributed, if necessary, to the domestic and business customers who need an allowance because of rising energy prices.

I accept this is a most difficult situation for many people, but, in all fairness, one has to agree that the Government has moved on it. When I speak to members of the general public, they clearly say the Government is making an effort.

Let me refer to a vital point about spending all the money on the announcement of the budget. I believe Senator Dooley referred to it. There is €6 billion, and the Government has made it quite clear that if it is necessary in the new year to support people with electricity bills, it will be available. The Minister of State might confirm this. I am confident that the Government is on top of this and making the right moves to bring this country through a very difficult period. It is not just a crisis in this country.