A BUNCRANA councillor
has called on the Government to extend the fuel
allowance into the summer and autumn months as
unseasonal weather hits householders hard.
Cllr Pádraig MacLochlainn said rising fuel costs
combined with deteriorating summer weather meant
people were increasingly needing their heating on in
summer at much higher costs.
“The un-seasonal rainfall over the last two summers
means many people have to use their heating systems
to dry clothes and even just to keep warm at times.
There is also the fact that many older people are in
need of their heating all year round. Combined with
rising fuel costs this means that many people are
facing extra costs they simply cannot afford," said
the Sinn Féin councillor.
The National Fuel Scheme is intended to help Irish
households dependant on long-term social welfare or
Health Service Executive (HSE) payments and who are
unable to provide for their own heating needs.
The scheme operates for 30 weeks from the end of
September to mid-April.
Cllr MacLochlainn said there was now a clear case
for the scheme to be extended.
“Fuel poverty is a very real issue and is measured
when a household needs to spend more than 10% of
their income on energy costs to heat their homes.
“The Government must plan to eradicate fuel poverty
similar to that planned by the Northern executive,
who have produced a Fuel Poverty Strategy which
commits to eliminating fuel poverty by 2020."
He outlined a study during the peak of the Celtic
Tiger in 2001, showing that 227,000 Irish homes
experienced fuel poverty.
"Given the difficult economic circumstances and the
rising cost of fuels this figure has no doubt
increased.
“With all of this in mind I would appeal to the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin
as an interim measure to look into the prospect of
extending the fuel allowance to keep payments going
all year round.” |
