Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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88. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the criteria regarding having a child under seven came into force for people on disability allowance payment; and the case of a child (details supplied) will be reviewed. [36397/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In February 2022, in line with commitments in the National Retrofit Plan, the Government announced a number of changes to the Warmer Homes Scheme. These changes were implemented to improve the targeting of the scheme.

One of these changes was to extend the scheme eligibility criteria to include those in receipt of the Disability Allowance for over 6 months and have a child under 7 years. Disability Allowance had not previously been a qualifying payment for the scheme. This change brought the eligibility criteria for the scheme for those in receipt of Disability Allowance in line with the existing criteria for the scheme for those in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance. This was an existing qualifying payment, also where the person had a child aged under 7. Young children are at particular risk of long-term impacts from living in a cold home.

The scheme targets support to those most in need and living in the least efficient homes so that the resources available can have the greatest impact. The eligibility criteria are kept under ongoing review with the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to ensure they are consistent with and complementary to the other income support schemes offered by that Department.

It should be noted that Disability Allowance is a qualifying payment for the Fuel Allowance, which is one of the DSP payments that meet the eligibility criteria for the Warmer Homes scheme. Households should apply to DSP in advance of the Fuel Allowance season (end September) to check whether they are eligible.

The Deputy may wish to note that Government also has other schemes and supports in place which may be of assistance where there is an urgent need.

The Department of Social Protection's Additional Needs Payment is a payment available to people who have essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income. Additional Needs Payments are paid under Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) or the Department of Social Protection. Details are available here: .

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's Housing Adaptation Grants can assist older people to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out in order to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Details are available here: .

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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89. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide data on the number of holiday homes that received the Government electricity credit in the past year; the number of holiday-home meter points that were deemed ineligible under the measures introduced to exclude low-usage customers; the estimated potential cost of extending the credit to holiday homes in the coming months, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36409/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Budget 2024 introduced a third Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme which over 2.2 million households have benefitted from - worth €450 in total per household. Through the three Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Schemes 2.2 million households have received €1,250 in on bill support.

Under Scheme III, usage levels were assessed to ensure that payments were withheld in relation to low usage electricity accounts identified by the distribution system operator, to prevent the payment from being applied to vacant houses.

ESB Networks identified accounts which consumed less than 150 kilowatt hours of electricity per quarter for four consecutive quarters between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023. If a domestic electricity account identified by ESB Networks on the effective date in respect of each payment, was flagged as a low usage account, it was not allocated a payment for that payment period. The payment was not withheld for accounts with a financial hardship meter, accounts held by registered vulnerable customer or accounts which have low usage due to the exporting of energy to the grid through microgeneration.

The Scheme allows for review by a customer’s electricity supplier, if contacted by a customer who has not received the payment. The customer can seek further review by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, which has oversight of the Scheme, following the decision of the electricity supplier.

The CRU reports regularly on the implementation of the Scheme and has confirmed that, as of 26 August, 95% of domestic electricity customers have been credited with all three payments, with the majority of the remaining 5% being low usage accounts for whom the account holder did not contact the supplier, with approx. 91,000 accounts in this bracket. The CRU has allowed until 30 September 2024 for customer appeals to the CRU and for subsequent payments to customers. While the final report will not be received until January 2025, when the Scheme has fully ceased, an estimated €40 million has been saved over the course of the three payments.