Gary Gannon
Question:62. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on her Department's work on combating energy poverty. [7892/24]
View answerTuesday, 20 February 2024
Questions (62)
Written answers
The overall strategy to combat Fuel Poverty and Energy Poverty is under the remit of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The Energy Poverty Action Plan was published in December 2022 and is led and monitored by a cross-departmental Steering Group under the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, my department officials participate in that group.
Separately, my Department provides a range of supports to assist with energy costs.
The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks, which equates to a total payment of €924 each year. Fuel Allowance is paid 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.
The Household Benefits package comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €294 million this year on Household Benefits for over 521,000 customers.
As part of Budget 2024, an additional payment of €300 for Fuel Allowance recipients was paid in November 2023.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may also make Additional Needs Payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. Over 5,800 additional needs payments were made in 2023 to assist with household bills and heating costs in 2023, at a total cost of almost €3 million.
A heating supplement can be paid where a person has need for additional heating due to ill health or infirmity. There were over 930 recipients of this supplement at the end of January 2024.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.