Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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177. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of providing a half-rate fuel allowance payment to households with a gross income of less than €40,000 per year. [30514/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household.

The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including the household composition criteria, not just a means test.

This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.

My Department does not hold data on the number of households with a gross income of less than €40,000 per year and are therefore it is not possible to forecast a costing for providing a half-rate fuel allowance to this cohort.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.