Rose Conway-Walsh

Overall sentiment: -0.00
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Two cent per litre is €20 for a 1,000 litre fill when people are afraid to turn on their heating - this Government will be remembered as the Government of fuel poverty and energy poverty. It is pushing people into energy poverty. To add fuel to the fire, it is incredible that the Government still plans to proceed with the next carbon tax hike in May. At a time when people are already stretched to breaking point, this decision defies all logic. This measure is an insult to the people of Mayo who make up some of the 750,000 households that are reliant on home heating oil to keep warm or to have some hot water. We talk about rationing and the possibility of rationing into the future if we have shortages of oil but I can tell the Minister one thing. There are many households across this country tonight who are self-rationing - doing without heat or hot water because they cannot afford it. It is no surprise once again that it is rural households like my own in Mayo that are being left behind. What does the Government think it is like for the people living in the houses affected by defective concrete blocks when they see the houses crumbling around them? There are cracks in the wall and they are trying to heat them. The Minister was the previous housing Minister and now he is the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. Can he imagine how cold it is? I got calls from Mayo this morning to say how freezing cold it was. The Government could have adopted Sinn Féin's legislation to completely remove excise on home heating oil, which would have provided meaningful and immediate relief. Let us be honest about the Government's measure to extend the fuel allowance for four weeks. It cannot even be dignified by being described as a half measure. It is completely tokenistic. It is too little and it is too late. People need decisive action now. They need somebody to have their back and I am telling them here today that Sinn Féin and I will certainly have the back of the people in Mayo because they deserve it.

Sentiment score: -0.00