John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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237. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department is carrying out an examination of the effectiveness of the fuel allowance payment; if other examinations into the payment are taking place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21749/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week from October to April, to over 338,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2018. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

My Department’s schemes, including the Fuel Allowance scheme, are constantly reviewed to ensure that they are fulfilling their objectives. Recent changes to the scheme which helped increase its effectiveness include extending the duration of the scheme to 27 weeks and the introduction of an option for qualified households to receive their fuel allowance payment in two lump sums, thereby allowing people to buy fuel in bulk and potentially avail of special offers or discounts on the purchase of the particular fuel that meets their specific needs.

Fuel allowance is not the sole income support mechanism through which assistance is provided to people with special or additional heating needs. My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance as part of the household benefits package at an estimated cost of €237 million in 2018. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances that have special heating needs. Exceptional needs payments (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources.

Income support is only part of the answer in terms of addressing fuel poverty. The best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term is to improve the energy efficiency of the dwelling through proper building and household insulation. Initiatives such as the Warmer Homes Scheme, operated by Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland, under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment have a very valuable role to play in that regard. Furthermore, that Department also has responsibility for the Government’s main approach to this issue, contained in “A Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty 2016-2019” which is available on that Department’s website at www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/energy/publications/Pages/Strategy-to-combat-energy-poverty.aspx.

The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock and energy efficiency awareness initiatives.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.