Danny Healy-Rae warns Kerry faces fuel and power crisis
Danny Healy-Rae warned that rising fuel and electricity costs are creating a serious problem for people in Kerry and criticised current housing and energy policies. He argued diesel and heating oil prices have more than doubled, electricity is up 19%, and fuel allowance rules leave vulnerable households exposed.
Rising fuel and electricity costs
He said the cost of diesel for tractors has more than doubled and the cost of heating oil has more than doubled, noting electricity is up 19%. He warned that higher transport costs affect the price of timber, slates and other essentials for rural communities.
Impact on farmers and households
He described Kerry as a largely farming community with longer journeys to work and said farmers and elderly people will be hit hard. He warned some households may return to cutting turf and said electric cars are being promoted despite "no place to plug them in" and concerns about electricity availability.
Housing policy and heat pumps
He criticised the push to build houses without chimneys and rely on electric heat pumps when electricity supplies may be unreliable. He said insulation costs could rise by around 40% and warned that retrofitting homes faces waits of a year and a half to two years. He also said offshore wind developments will not deliver turbines for about 10 years.
Fuel allowance and social welfare concerns
He challenged the fuel allowance rules that require 15 months of unemployment before entitlement and said that stipulation "didn't fit for purpose" for many on social welfare. He urged the minister to address the eligibility and timeliness of supports for those who will struggle this winter.
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Thank you very much, Cathaoirleach. I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk about this very serious problem and indeed it's a problem for the people of Kerry because we all know that they have longer journeys to go to work, farmers, a lot of Kerry is farming community and the cost of diesel for tractors has more than doubled, the cost of heating oil has more than doubled for people, for elderly people, and to them I'm worried about as well, the fact that they could be called in their homes this winter. We'll have to go back cutting turf and people will be glad of a load of turf before this winter is out. Electricity is up 19% and everyone is being advised to go electric, get electric cars, no place to plug them in and as it looks like now, we've no electricity to bring to bring to the plunge. So transport costs affects every whole item in the country, whether it is the sticky timber, whether it is slates, whatever it is. And then we see, we're told build houses, build no chimneys and have heat pumps, electric heat pumps, and when there's no electricity, what's going to heat the house in the ministry? This insulation costs are going to heat up, they're going to heat up 40%. And then you're talking about retrofitting houses and there's a year and a half to two years of weight. Why is that, minister? And then I'm asking you seriously, minister, about the fuel allowance for many other categories of people that are on social welfare. There's a stipulation there that if you become unemployed, that you have to be unemployed for 15 months before you get the fuel allowance. God almighty, minister, that rule didn't fit for purpose at all. I mean, those people are going to get called as well as everyone else. Thank you, David. So it's a pure recipe for a disaster, minister, telling people to build houses without chimneys. And they already have started doing it in Kerry. And what's going to keep them warm when the electricity runs out? You're talking about offshore energy. There won't be wind turbines for 10 years out in the ocean. And you know that. And stop talking about it. Stop being ridiculous about things. Thank you, David. Thank you, David.
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