Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 396: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if legislation will be required to implement the commitment in the programme for Government to produce a strategy to tackle fuel-poverty. [18285/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In line with the Programme for Government, I am working with my colleagues the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to bring forward an Energy Affordability Strategy which I intend to bring to Government in the coming months.

Considerable preparatory work has already been undertaken by the Inter-Departmental/Agency Group on Affordable Energy, which is chaired by my Department and which represents all key Departments, Agencies and energy suppliers as well as the Energy Regulator and NGOs. This work will inform the proposed Strategy which I intend to bring to Government in the coming months. The necessity, in that context, for legislative action, will be kept under review.

The affordable energy strategy will be the framework for building upon the many measures already in place to protect households at risk from the effects of energy poverty, which include the thermal efficiency-based measures such as the low income strand of Better Energy Homes, which provides significant energy efficiency improvements in low-income homes. It brings benefits to recipients in terms of energy affordability, tangible health improvements and overall well being.