Taoiseach Brian Cowen was today accused of lacking compassion for householders struggling to pay their heating bills.
During leaders' questions in the Dáil this morning, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore highlighted the price of home heating oil, which he said was now 26 per cent higher than it was this time last year.
One of the factors contributing to the increase was the carbon levy introduced in the last budget, he added.
When the measure was introduced, the Government had promised that a vouched fuel allowance scheme would be developed to offset the increases for low-income families, but this had not happened, he added.
The programme for government was committed to the publication of a fuel poverty strategy by the end of last year, said Mr Gilmore.
Mr Gilmore said the ESB was disconnecting up to 2,500 households a month and Bord Gais 4,000 had cut off so far this year, while millions of euro were to be spent on re-branding both organisations.
“That €40 million would be better spent providing some assistance to those families who can’t meet their fuel bills, who are being switched off by the electricity suppliers, who are being charged €200 to be turned off and another €200 to be turned back on again,” he said.
Mr Cowen said the fuel allowance scheme related to the carbon levy on solid fuels and was, obviously, subject to a commencement order. He understood, he added, that home heating oil prices were still lower than they were during mid-2008.
The carbon tax, introduced in last December’s budget, imposes a €15 per tonne charge on fossil fuels, including petrol, diesel, fuel oil and gas. It is expected to bring in €330 million a year.
The Labour leader accused the Taoiseach of dodging the issue.
“That answer is a dodge and shows no appreciation whatever of the kind of difficulties that people have in meeting home heating costs,” Mr Gilmore said.
The Dáil will tonight vote on a Labour private member’s motion calling on the Government to introduce measures to deal with fuel poverty.