Energy Prices
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-15
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Dara Calleary (FF), Mayo

We are very focused on energy poverty. That is why the fuel allowance increase is 15%, which supports over 460,000 households that require most support with energy costs. This is the first year the fuel allowance has been expanded to working families. Those on the working family payment will get a back payment in March of their fuel allowance backdated to 1 January. That will bring an additional 50,000 people in.
As I said, we have also looked at other areas that directly impact on families, particularly children. That is why the record increases in child support payment are important. They give permanent increases in income to families on the lowest of incomes. This is the first time the fuel allowance has gone beyond a welfare payment to people who are on the working family payment. That is where I want to go. I want to make permanent increases that are not year to year or dependent on budgetary situations and have them as part of it. We work with our colleagues in the Department of the environment on other fuel poverty initiatives, including retrofitting and guidance, so we can reduce permanently the cost of energy bills as opposed to making temporary changes.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:30+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-15