Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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305. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she would consider extending the fuel allowance payment options so that it can be received annually in order to enable persons to bulk purchase fuel oil for home tanks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39979/24]

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.

In 2017 my Department introduced the option that Fuel Allowance recipients may receive the payment in two instalments. The decision was taken at the time to allow households to avail of discounts for buying in bulk.

The two-instalment option was considered the best option at the time, as the second instalment is issued at the start of January during the coldest period of the year and at a time when people may have less money following the Christmas period.

The two instalment options also ensures that people can automatically benefit from any increases to the payment that are announced as part of the Budget, which generally take affect in January.

My Department engages regularly with stakeholders regarding social welfare schemes, including through the pre-Budget Forum. While the suggestion made by the Deputy has not been raised as a priority issue in that engagement, we will of course keep the scheme under review in the context of the annual Budget process.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.