Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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6. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures being taken by his Department to tackle the problem of fuel poverty. [51567/13]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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So far this winter we have escaped with relatively mild weather conditions, although it is very cold this morning. Last winter was one of the worst in living memory. The Government has reduced the term during which the fuel allowance is payable and the allowance has effectively been wiped out by the 33% increase in the price of gas. The Minister will be aware that the price of a standard bag of coal has increased by 10% to 15% and that there has been a 20% increase in the cost of a bale of briquettes. As energy prices continue to rise and with one third of elderly people living alone, what is the Minister doing to address this problem?

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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As stated by the Deputy, thus far, happily, the winter has been very mild. Let us hope it continues that way. As we enter the winter months I remain concerned about energy poverty and its impact on the most vulnerable in society. Energy poverty is a function of a person’s income, the thermal efficiency of his or her home and the price he or she pays for energy. As the Deputy will be aware, in November 2011 I published a strategy on affordable energy. It is being implemented by my Department in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection and other relevant Departments and agencies across the public sector.

To address the thermal efficiency of people’s homes, I have secured increased funds for the better energy warmer homes scheme in 2014. This scheme provides grants free of charge for vulnerable households to enable them to make their homes more thermal efficient. To date, more than 102,000 homes around the country have benefited from these free upgrades. My Department, together with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, is also working to ensure the funds available under the better energy warmer homes scheme are targeted at those households most in need. The eligibility criteria for the scheme have been widened in order that the scheme captures more households at risk of energy poverty. In addition, the SEAI will soon pilot an approach that will allow it to identify households in extreme energy poverty at an earlier stage in the scheme application process, thus allowing it to prioritise the treatment of these applications.

The SEAI is also running a pilot programme for upgrading local authority homes through the better energy warmer homes scheme. Previously, the scheme had only been available to private homeowners. The goal of the pilot programme is to assess if the scheme can also assist local authority households that are vulnerable to energy poverty. The pilot programme is nearing completion and I expect to receive a report on its effectiveness this month. The SEAI has also published the Keeping Well and Warm booklet and website which informs vulnerable households of the advice and supports available to them. In the past four years 230,000 Keeping Well and Warm booklets have been distributed to vulnerable households.

While the numbers of electricity and gas disconnections continue to decline, my Department is engaging with the CER with a view to reducing further the numbers of disconnections.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The Minister has referred to the better energy warmer homes scheme, the target for which is 1 million homes by 2020, of which 102,000 have been insulated thus far. Has the 12,000 target for 2013 been achieved? I acknowledge this work is under way having seen teams of workers moving through local authority estates.

The Minister also referred to the pay-as-you-go scheme. He previously gave a commitment that pay-as-you-go meters would be installed before any supplier moved to disconnect an energy supply. Has this promise been upheld? Where stands the pay-as-you-go scheme?

Our colleagues across the water in the British Labour Party have indicated that if returned to power in 2015, they will immediately institute a price freeze of gas and electricity prices. They appear to have convinced the current British Government to look at implementing a similar policy. Is the Minister open to consideration of the introduction of price controls, given that since taking up office as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources energy prices have increased by one third, which is outrageous?

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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As the Deputy knows, under the warmer homes segment of the better energy programme, the State bears the total cost of refurbishment of houses. The others are grant based incentive schemes in respect of houses in the private sector. We expect an additional 10,000 homes to be refurbished this year. This does not take into account the moneys being spent by my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, on local authority houses. All of the evidence available at the time we were putting together the affordable energy strategy indicated that thermal efficiency was the most significant aspect in improving the quality of living of people vulnerable to energy poverty.

The Deputy referred to the decision made by the Minister for Social Protection on the fuel allowance. One could the pay allowance all year round and it would not have the same impact as the insulation and retrofit programme. The area based initiative is very important. As the Deputy will be aware, there are some houses clustered in particular estates, the quality of which is exceptionally poor and they need to be refurbished.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The Minister did not address my questions about the roll-out of pay-as-you-go meters or price invigilation. Given the general uselessness of the Commission for Energy Regulation during the years, is there not a strong case to be made for some controls in this regard? In a recent speech the Tánaiste spoke about increasing prices and the sudden appearance of bills which families could not pay. The reality is that many of these bills are imposed by the Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, and his colleagues in the form of the property tax, the 50% increase in waste management charges, promised water charges and so on. What we are seeing is a hugely increasing forest of utility bills and a Minister who is not taking any action to control prices in the areas within his remit.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The pay-as-you-go meters have been a considerable success. Under the protocol we have put in place, there can be no disconnections where a pay-as-you-go meter has been installed or a payment plan entered into by the householder. This has worked exceptionally well. My Department is in discussions with the Department of Social Protection on the issue of house occupants resorting to the exceptional needs payment to pay energy bills being required to have a pay-as-you-go meter installed. The installation of pay-as-you-go meters has undoubtedly been a success.

On price controls, it is welcome that neither the ESB nor Bord Gáis increased its prices in this calendar year in circumstances where across the water prices increased by between 8.5% and 10.4%.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The damage was done in 2011-12.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I recall from private discussions with my old friend Deputy Broughan when he was a socialist that he was always in favour of a property tax, the conservation of water and water charges.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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No, I was not. The Minister knows I was not.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Thank you.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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A Cheann Comhairle, I was the Minister's energy spokesperson.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I know we are in the Christmas season-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are over time and I must call Deputy Naughten.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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-----when some former colleagues of mine have a habit of standing on their head, but Deputy Broughan's forgetfulness is going too far.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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No; the Minister is the one who has forgotten.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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That will tell him.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Naughten.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Can this not continue? It is enjoyable.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, we cannot. This is Question Time.