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LAST UPDATE | 5 Oct 2022
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said people should not have their electricity cut off this winter unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Facing questions from reporters in Government Buildings about the threat of disconnections hanging over people, the Taoiseach said:
“First of all, I’ve made it clear, in my view, unless there are extenuating circumstances, [people] will not be cut off”, said Martin. He said a reason may be for example that someone is not engaging with the energy company.
Given the Government supports provided and the lump sum payments, “people should not be cut off”, said Martin.
He added in Leaders Questions earlier in the day he had gone through all of the various pillars “that in my view avoids people having to be cut off, that’s the bottom line there”.
He said the Government has provided an “extensive package” including once-off measures to help people, but added that emergency social welfare payments are also available.
The Money Advice Bureau (MABs) is also a “very important organisation”, he said, while the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has also “brought in extra protections”.
The Government will be working with energy companies, he added, stating that service suppliers also have an obligation not to cut people off if they are engaging with them.
In Leaders’ Questions, he said supports provided to pay-as-you-go utility customers in Budget 2023 would prevent them from being cut off over the winter.
Martin received criticism from both Sinn Féin and People Before Profit over a lack of clarity around whether or not pay-as-you-go households would be included within the disconnection moratorium.
At the press conference, a text message that a customer receives when their balance is low, which outlines that they are at risk of disconnection, was read out to the Taoiseach. In response, Martin said he believes the CRU has “changed the conditions and strengthened protections” for people.
He said these were protections also in place for pay-as-you-go customers.
Over the weekend, Martin told RTÉ Radio One that the Government did not want to see disconnections, particularly for vulnerable people.
“In the middle of an energy crisis of this kind, we cannot have disconnections,” said Martin.
However, due to the credit system on pay-as-you-go meters, if a household falls below the €20 emergency credit, the electricity or gas will automatically disconnect.
This is not covered by the CRU’s moratorium on disconnections, which is set to run from 1 December to 28 February, while a further moratorium for vulnerable customers will run from 1 November to 31 March.
In a statement, the CRU said that current pay-as-you-go metering systems cannot identify the reasons why meters have not been topped up.
“The metering systems cannot provide the granularity of data required to identify the reasons for certain meters not being topped up or the cohort of customers,” said the CRU in a statement yesterday.
“The CRU has made the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications aware of the limitations of the metering systems in this regard.”
It’s understood that this is due to limitations of the IT system that run pay-as-you-go meters.
Leaders’ Questions
The issue of pay-as-you-go meters was raised by both Sinn Féin and People Before Profit during Leaders’ Questions this afternoon, with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald calling for the moratorium on disconnections to be implemented immediately and for it to run until the end of March.
In response, Martin said that the Government will be providing support and mentioned the raft of once-0ff supports that were announced in Budget 2023, including the fuel allowance payments and bonus social welfare payments.
McDonald said that Martin had given assurances over the weekend that there wouldn’t be disconnections and pressed him for an answer on how it might work.
“You gave the commitment of the weekend Taoiseach, that disconnections wouldn’t happen. I want you to set out in detail what that means for pay-as-you-go meters… you have made a commitment. When will that kick in and how will it work?,” said McDonald.
Martin criticised McDonald, saying that she was being “dishonest” for not acknowledging the impact the war in Ukraine was having on energy costs and added that the Government would protect people.
Following Martin’s comments, there was shouting over on the opposition benches, with McDonald calling on the Taoiseach to “do your job”, saying that he had not answered her questions.
Leas Ceann Comhairle Catherine Connolly intervened, calling on McDonald to stop and threatening to suspend the Dáil session over the exchange.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy also spoke on the pay-as-you-go issues, saying that the Taoiseach’s comments over the weekend were “not accurate” and that he was “just playing with words”.
“On Sunday, prepay energy customers will not be cut off, says Taoiseach. Today, the Taoiseach says prepaid customers should not be caught off. Which one is it?,” said Murphy.
He called for the Government to extend the emergency credit on prepay meters, which is currently capped at €20 before customers are disconnected.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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How many people get the train…oh no wait I forgot, it’s 2024 and still no rail link to our capital city.
@Stephen Heffernan: you may swap the 2s and the 4s in the date, and there’s a good chance there still won’t be. Maybe a 50 year old underground line, but even that’s not sure
@Jerry LeFrog: The outgoing minister of transport did a great job progressing this!
@Stephen Heffernan: the cost of living crisis must be just a myth
My comment is for the Ukrainians giving out bout living conditions… now ye know how it feels for irish ppl in homes with no heating mould damp etc. etc. And still they are being ignored by a government who continues to talk down on the ppl that pays them
@rastaman187: bad living conditions are a function of poverty, nothing to do with nationality. So quit blaming immigrants
@SYaxJ2Ts: buggers can’t be choosers, if the Ukrainians aren’t happy here,try somewhere else
@James Moylan: the residents were asked by Doras for their feedback, and gave it. What’s your problem?
@SYaxJ2Ts: they should be grateful for what they are getting, if not go to a different country
@rastaman187: So then why do the same people keep voting in this government over and over and over again? Well? If you are desperate to tall aboit this, why don’t you answer this?
@Shane O Mac: Maybe they wouldn’t be here in the first place if the government wasn’t so desperate to be patted on the head by the EU and the multinationals, aka the only reason why you even have things like sanitation and electricity on this island? You don’t like that? Then why do you keep voting in this government ?
@GoodBrother: I didn’t vote for this government, never have and never will.
@Shane O Mac: so when they were asked specifics about their living conditions, they should have lied and said that they were 5 star rated? Wtf is wrong with you?
@James Moylan: Says he!
I’ve a space in me garden if anyone is interested. Only 7 minutes away from Dublin Airport. I’ll drop you up and pick you up,€85 all in..
@Paul Gorry: would me car be safe though? I think I’d take the Shannon flight
@Sean Money: Absolutely sean. My two XL Bullys will make sure of that.
@Paul Gorry: Same here! Living next to the new runway. Have a free parking space and will do a drop off and pick up…price negotiable.
@Paul Gorry: Can they put out fires?
@Sean Buckley: Young Munsters fan?
Came home from a foreign holiday and found car had a flat in airport car park. Called breakdown service and when they arrived I realized it wasn’t my car. Then remembered I went to the airport by bus. Arrived home and remembered I don’t own a car. True story.
Should be more flights out of Knock Shannon and Cork use what we have why drive to Dublin if your from the west or south
@Martin Ridge: I drive to the flights that take me to my destination. If the airlines choose Dublin then I have to fly from Dublin.
If they can make money in Knock, Shannon or Cork they’ll fly from there in a heartbeat. I used to work in an airline. The routes are evaluated and changed constantly. If they’re flying from Dublin its because they make the most money from Dublin. The other airports need to be supported and helped become better competitors.
@Martin Ridge: not enough demand to make to routes viable .
@Michael O’Neill: If the demand isn’t there, supports for the airport will be very expensive, and most likely not feasible. 90%+ load factor and minimal time sitting on stand from Dublin. The others simply can’t match that and making up the difference per flight/per aircraft will run into the 10s of millions per year. Its down to population and capital city tourism.
@Martin Ridge: Park in Shannon, Knock, Cork, Farranfore …
Connect in Dublin, Heathrow, Schiphol, Charles de Gaul …
@Martin Ridge: Knock is an excellent way to avoid Dublin, plus it’s a 45 minute flight to London, from where you can fly anywhere, they still run that commuter flight that the airport was opened for. Did it for 6 months, was very handy.
Got a lift recently. Prices are out of control. Nearly 200 quid!!! Ask my left one
@Rafa C: another Muppet that has the luxury of living within an hour of the airport…..and can get a lift…..
@Rafa C: €76 for a week in October a little bit saucy but look nowhere near €200
@and the hit’s just keep coming: don’t live near airport
@Fiona Wyse: nowhere near those prices. 86 was the lowest with 15 min shuttle bus. But can’t do that unfortunately. It was 190ish to park ground level at terminal. Which is what I need. If I can’t then I have to find a lift.
Up until a few years ago the cheapest option was to book in quickpark Santry. Huge parking right beside the airport and critically competition for the DAA parking.
Interesting that it got shut down.
Interesting that DAA tried to buy the old site of quickpark.
Interesting that now DAS have been blocked for monopoly rules from buying it a number of stories start surfacing to make the public aware of the shortage of parking.
Almost like the public should get behind the DAA being allowed to expand their paid parking business.
@Neil Armstrong: How did it “get shut down”?
@Neil Armstrong: start surfacing??? Lack of parking at peak times has been in the press constantly over the last 3 years with return to normal flight patterns after Covid.
The DAA want to expand their parking.
Proof: They just bid on and were blocked buying the old quickpark site.
It’s in the DAA’s business interests to block competition for parking close to the airport.
Proof: Quickpark initially faced strong opposition from the then Aer Rianta. They tried to block it right to the Supreme Court. Google it.
If I’ve a ‘conspiracy’ it’s a simple one – DAA like money. They like to make money from their car parks. They’d like to have *more* parking fee money. They’d like more spaces to help get more money. That agenda requires public/political support. Crazy theory I know. Paid DAA run airport viewing area replacing the free area in the next few years – anyone taking bets?
All I’m saying BTW is it’s not in the public interest to allow DAA to expand their parking business (take over quickpark/other large site). It’s better to allow a competitor into the market.
I don’t blame the DAA for a business strategy. Of course they’re going to advocate in the Transport Committee and release stories about lack of capacity.
The solution however isn’t to increase capacity by further eroding competition.
@Neil Armstrong: So we’re stuck with the current solution of a closed car park. Great.
@Neil Armstrong: the old quickpark site has been for sale for 3 years and has only had a single bidder – DAA. Even with DAA now blocked from purchasing not one company has come forward. If there were other bidders in then the competition argument might hold water. But there aren’t and therefore it doesn’t. And again….there’s no “releasing” of stories, this has been happening for years.
We need to upgrade Shannon & Cork airport with fast express links for the South West a new airport around Cavan for the North East, Another around Portlaoise for the South East, then Dublin for the remainder.
@Be Lucky: and who’s going to pay for that? And should people expect 4 flights daily from each of these airports to every destination in Europe?
@Be Lucky: Waterford?
another cabbage head legacy to be fixed
So, the Cost of Living Crisis is over.
As someone already commented. could you offer a space if you had a house near the airport. Then Drive them to the terminal. Mind their car for the week for a fee. Sounds like a winner to me.
Joke of an airport, you can’t park there and if you’re lucky enough to get one it will cost you nearly as much as your flight. Still no rail link to the airport despite been promised one for the last 40 years, so flying from Dublin airport has now become a terrible experience.
@The Firestarter: They’re all the same. A week in Heathrow is 140 sterling
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: At least you can get both the underground and rail services to Heathrow.
Know any Aer Lingus pilots ?
They can lend you their free parking space… short term and all!
And then they may have nowhere to go
Maybe this is the reason why they ain’t puting a track to the airport… free money with minimal expenditure.
Never fly anywhere or do anything. Never have to worry about it then!
@Dan The Man: how boring an existence!
Over 18,000 parking spaces & not one solar panel, this is perfect location for solar whilst car parks underneath, instead of using fertile farm land, poor policies choices!
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