Govt insists fuel assistance will be made available

The Government has insisted emergency assistance will be made available to anyone with difficulty making fuel payments when the carbon levy comes into effect this weekend.

The levy on home heating oil - expected to add about 9% to the cost - will be implemented from Saturday.

The Government had promised a special waiver scheme for low income families, but it is not to be made available until it is added to the winter fuel allowance in October.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore and Tánaiste Mary Coughlan clashed on the issue in the Dáil this morning.

Deputy Gilmore accused the Government of breaking a promise to families who would be "very severely impacted" by the rise in fuel prices.

However the Tánaiste insisted that families experiencing difficulties in the interim would have access to Exceptional Needs measures through the Department of Social Protection.