N.Ireland
Tom Elliott MLA, is seeking to raise the awareness of the fuel poverty challenge that exists in rural areas of Northern Ireland.
Rural Life
Irish Rural Link has called on the government to increase core social welfare payments by a minimum of €25 per week in Budget 2024.
The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys has announced that the extra €100 Fuel Allowance payment will be paid this week.
It is estimated that increases in fuel prices for residential heating due to carbon tax will raise the proportion experiencing fuel poverty.
Electricity price and carbon tax increases "couldn't come at a worse time" according to Sinn Féin's climate justice spokesperson Lynn Boylan.
The Social Democrats has welcomed a proposed nationwide ban on smoky coal and restrictions on the sale of turf and unseasoned wood, but says that any new regulations "must be poverty-proofed".
Two-thirds of people find it difficult to afford fuel to heat their homes, according to the results of a survey carried out by Sinn Féin.
