Written answers

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Anti-Poverty Strategy

9:00 pm

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 470: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will publish the fuel poverty strategy as a matter of priority in advance of budget 2012. [23814/11]

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

Energy poverty is a cross-cutting policy issue and tackling the root causes requires action on a number of fronts. Energy poverty is caused by the interaction between energy prices, thermal inefficiency of the home and income. Action to mitigate energy poverty has focused on providing assistance through the schemes operated by the Departments of Social Protection, Environment and the Sustainable Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

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 delivered through the Better Energy: Warmer Homes programme. By providing significant energy efficiency improvements to homes in, or at risk of, energy poverty, this programme provides benefits to recipients in terms of energy affordability, tangible health improvements and overall well being. The programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department.

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, finalised its own deliberations over the summer months. Their analysis and recommendations formed the basis for a strategy to be agreed with my Ministerial colleagues.

I would remind the Deputy that I informed the Oireachtas Committee last evening that I was in the process of bringing a Memo to Cabinet on this issue and it is my intention to publish an Affordable Energy Strategy within a few weeks.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.