Government and Sinn Féin clash over energy credits as over 300,000 households behind on bills

Tanaiste Simon Harris said: 'Sinn Féin does not think it is enough for somebody in County Louth to have €1,000 in fuel allowance but thinks someone up the road in Armagh should get by on just £100.' Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The Government and Sinn Féin have clashed again in the Dáil on the issue of energy credits, with Tánaiste Simon Harris saying the opposition party has a "partitionist approach when it comes to energy policy".

During Leaders' Questions, Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said the energy arrears figures are "nothing short of alarming — a flashing red light for what households are already enduring and what lies ahead this winter".

"They tell us that over 300,000 households are behind on their electricity bills, and gas bills tell the same bleak story," he said.

"A total of 180,000 households are now in arrears with their gas. This means that over one in four households in this State cannot pay their gas bills. This does not even include all the households that are just managing to keep up. 

These are not just numbers. They are cold living rooms where families sit wrapped in coats because they cannot risk switching on the heat. They are older people rationing warmth terrified of opening their next bill. 

"They are parents hiding final notices hoping their next pay packet will stretch far enough to keep the lights on."

Simon Harris said the fuel allowance is now worth over €1,000 per year for the fuel allowance period.

"More people, families and households than ever before are getting access to direct assistance with their fuel bills from the Government. This is an action we took. I would encourage everybody to look at the broadened criteria and put in their application for the fuel allowance.

"Second, not only have we increased the fuel allowance, we also expanded it to those receiving the working family payment. This means that over 450,000 households or roughly one quarter of all homes in this jurisdiction will qualify for the payment.

"We are supporting over 500,000 households, many of them pensioners, with an allowance of €420 towards their gas or electricity bills."

Mr Doherty accused Mr Harris of telling people "do not be cold this winter" and called for the restoration of energy credits.

In response, Mr Harris said: "Sinn Féin does not think it is enough for somebody in County Louth to have €1,000 in fuel allowance but thinks someone up the road in Armagh should get by on just £100." 

This attracted response from Sinn Féin TDs including Thomas Gould who said Fine Gael "could not find Northern Ireland on a map".

Later, Labour's Mark Wall raised the issue of "the carparks the motorways into Dublin have become, especially the M7 and N7".

Thousands of people are spending their lives stuck in daily traffic for up to three hours as they try to get to work.

"They are leaving their family homes at 6am to barely make it into work for 9am. It is not just workers who are affected. People are missing critical medical appointments like chemotherapy because of these delays. 

"Cancer patients are telling me they are having to pull over to the side of the road because they are so unwell and cannot make their appointments. Can this House imagine what it is like to be undergoing cancer treatment and be trapped in traffic for hours on end?"