Health group calls for Govt to tackle fuel poverty

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) today called for the formation of an inter-departmental group on fuel poverty to enable the development of a fuel-poverty strategy in Ireland.

Presenting the IPH’s Position Paper on fuel poverty to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs the Institute said while there is a general commitment to addressing fuel poverty, there is no clear leadership and no structure for co-ordination.

Central Statistics Office figures to May 2008 show an 11% increase in the cost of home fuels in the past year.

IPH senior policy advisor, Dr Helen McAvoy said that in an era of rising fuel prices and increases in the number of vulnerable households comprising people living alone, older people and lone parent families, government leadership on this issue could not be more urgent.

"In the absence of a designated structure fuel poverty is falling between a number of stools and the formation of an inter-departmental fuel poverty group, similar to the model in place in Northern Ireland, is necessary to tackle this problem.

"The inter-departmental group should be Government-led and co-ordinate activities between Government departments in terms of the implementation of social welfare, energy and housing policies relevant to fuel poverty.

"This would allow for consideration of the social consequences of measures such as carbon taxes."