Rabbitte: Study's figures not representative of fuel poverty in society

The Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte has said fuel poverty among older people is not as bad as a new report suggests.

The study of more than 700 older people found more than half of them had to go without food or clothes last winter to pay for heating in their homes.

It also found some resorted to using the oven to generate heat.

Minister Pat Rabbitte said those studied were hand-picked and did not represent the extent of fuel poverty in the wider community.

"The authors acknowledge that the respondents have been identified by community organisations," he said, and added that the study's figures clashed "dramatically" with figures for, from example, the CSO.

However, the Minister acknowledged that "of course there is a problem of poverty in our society - some 6.5% of people live in consistent poverty according to the most recent CSO report."