Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane has said that figures she has received in response to a parliamentary question reveal the government’s “paltry help” for people who are in fuel poverty.

The party spokesperson on social protection and rural development said that “just 7,800 households will benefit from the government’s much-hyped measures on fuel poverty”.

She has warned that many thousands more will be vulnerable to fuel poverty as the cost of living crisis continues and called on the government to put in place a discretionary fund for those affected.

Fuel poverty

Speaking in the Dáil, the deputy told Minister Simon Coveney:

“Every time the energy crisis is raised we are told about the Fuel Allowance as the solution and nothing else – no other new action or measures.

“I have repeatedly said that the Fuel Allowance is too limited and have raised this with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste numerous times.

“I have now learned from a recent reply from the Minister [for Social Protection Heather Humphreys] that the increase in eligibility announced in the Budget, which is repeatedly referenced by the government- raising the threshold by €20 will only extend the Fuel Allowance to an estimated further 4,500 households and this doesn’t kick in until January.

“The other Fuel Allowance measure announced in the Budget around Jobseekers [Allowance] will benefit an estimated 3,300 households.

“In addition to having a very limited reach, the vast majority of additional eligible households won’t see that support until January. Given the scale of the energy crisis, this is not enough.

“That is why I asked you in this House before the budget that the government introduce a discretionary fund specifically for energy costs to assist those outside of the Fuel Allowance.”

Struggling to make ends meet

The deputy added that she is hearing from families and workers “struggling to make ends meet”.

“We know the energy price crisis goes far beyond the Fuel Allowance and so I am calling on the government to urgently put additional support for households in place,” deputy Kerrane said.

Minister Coveney replied that in the recent budget, there was “an emphasis on trying to recognise that there is fuel cost inflation and increased costs for families and homes”.

“Independent assessments of the budget have shown that the government is successfully compensating for that,” the minister said.

“We will keep this under review as we go through the winter in terms of the energy issues.”