asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware of the hardships suffered by those recipients of fuel vouchers who have to pay 1/- per four stone of turf in the summer months as against 1/- per eight stone in the winter months and, if so, if he will ensure that necessitous people purchasing turf on vouchers will get their supplies during the year at 1/- per eight stone; and if he will state further if it is proposed to reduce the price of turf to all such consumers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fuel Prices for Necessitous People.
The Deputy is misinformed as to the position when he asks me to ensure that necessitous people purchasing turf on vouchers will get their supplies during the year at 1/- per cwt. Under the scheme in Dublin, 11 per cent. of the recipients of fuel are getting supplies from the fuel depots during the winter months entirely free, and 55 per cent. are getting fuel during the same period at 6d. per cwt. During the winter, those paying 1/- per cwt. constitute only 14 per cent. of the recipients, while persons on low income admitted to the scheme on payment of 2/- per cwt. constitute 20 per cent. of the recipients. The scheme, which has been in force for the past two years, has been of great benefit to the several classes who participated, and I see no reason to alter the several rates of contribution. The scheme was started originally as a winter scheme and its continuance in the summer months was mainly for the purpose of ensuring that turf supplies would continue to be available for necessitous families, who might otherwise find it difficult to secure constant supplies.
Is the Minister not aware that it takes the same amount of turf in the summer months to boil a kettle or a pot of potatoes as it does in the winter, and will he see that these necessitous people are not asked to pay double price for turf in the summer compared with that which they pay in the winter? I am interested only in that class; I do not mind about the other classes he mentioned in his reply, and they were not in my question.
I have only to say that I think the charges made for this turf, even taking into consideration the circumstances of the people to whom it is supplied, are extremely reasonable, bearing in mind that even the subsidised turf is priced at 64/- per ton.
Is the Minister not aware that it takes the same amount of turf in the summer to boil a kettle or a pot of potatoes as it does in the winter? What are those people to do who were considered necessitous in the winter? The same necessity occurs in the summer.
I have only to point out that I am not an expert in household management.