Rose Conway-Walsh: Government Fuels Energy Poverty with Tax Hike
Rose Conway-Walsh (Sinn Féin) accuses the government of driving households into fuel and energy poverty by going ahead with a planned carbon tax increase in May. She says the rise is illogical and insulting to rural communities, particularly in Mayo, and criticises the government's limited extension of the fuel allowance as tokenistic.
Key accusation
Rose Conway-Walsh confronts the Minister over the decision to press ahead with a carbon tax hike at a time when many families are already avoiding heating. She labels the government 'the government of fuel poverty' and highlights that 750,000 households rely on home heating oil.
Rural impact and housing defects
Conway-Walsh emphasises the particular pressure on rural households in Mayo, describing people who are self-rationing heat and hot water. She also raises the human cost for families living in homes affected by defective concrete blocks, painting a picture of cold, crumbling houses.
Policy alternatives and political response
The Sinn Féin representative says her party had proposed removing the excise on home heating oil to provide immediate relief and calls the government's four-week extension of the fuel allowance inadequate. She frames the government's approach as too little, too late, and pledges Sinn Féin's support for affected communities.
Consequences and next steps
Conway-Walsh warns that proceeding with the tax hike will worsen energy poverty and insists decisive action is needed now. The speaker positions Sinn Féin as prepared to back households in Mayo and elsewhere who are struggling to keep warm.
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Minister, two cent on a thousand litre fill, 20 euro, 20 euro when people are afraid to turn on their heating. This government will be remembered as the government of fuel poverty, of energy poverty, pushing people into energy poverty. And to add fuel to the fire, it's 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 reliant on home heating oil to keep warm or to have some hot water. And we talk about rationing and the possibility of rationing into the future if we have shortages of oil. But I can tell you one thing, there are many, many households across this country tonight who are self-rationing, who are doing without heat, who are doing without water because they can't afford it. But it's no surprise once again that it's rural households like my own in Mayo who are being left behind. And what do you think it's like for the people who are living in the houses that are impacted by the defective concrete blocks? When they see the houses crumbling around them, when this cracks that size in the wall and they're trying to heat. And you were the Minister for Housing and now you're the Minister here. But can you just imagine how cold it is? Last night I got called from Mayo this morning to say how freezing it was. You could have adopted Sinn Féin's legislation to completely remove the excise on home heating oil, which would have provided meaningful and immediate relief. And let's be honest about your measures on extending the fuel allowance for four weeks. It can't even be dignified with a half-measure description. It's completely tokenistic. It is too little and it's too late, Minister. People need decisive action now. They need somebody to have their backs. And I'm telling them here today, Sinn Féin and I will certainly have the backs of the people in Mayo because they deserve it. you
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