Households could get cash to pay energy bills all the way into the summer.
Rocketing fuel prices have led to soaring home energy costs in recent months. The Government has responded with a series of energy credits that are being paid intermittently throughout the winter to ease the impact of the cost-of-living crunch.
In total, the Cabinet signed off on three credits worth €200 each, with the first paid last month, the next due in the coming weeks and a further boost scheduled for March. However, families and households will still be struggling to pay their bills after then and the Government is now considering more payments past March.
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A fourth €200 payment to ease us into the summer is now being considered by the Government. And it is also possible that next winter will see the return of the much-needed energy cash boosts.
A senior government source told the Irish Mirror last night that the Cabinet may sign off on energy credits for May. The discussions will begin in earnest, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar keen to give the public some notice before some cost-of-living supports have to cease at the end of February.
Mr Varadkar has already said in a Christmas interview with political reporters that he doesn’t want to see a "cliff edge" end to the supports at that stage.
A senior source said: "It will be acknowledged that homes still need to be heated past March, sometimes into the summer, especially for older people, and the Government would like to be in a position to help.
"This (the extra energy credit) will be part of discussions, it’s on the table, because, as the old saying goes, ‘never shed a clout until May is out.’"
Meanwhile, the Rural Independents are calling on the Government to maintain as many cost-of-living supports as they can. Tipperary independent TD, Mattie McGrath, said: "The lack of clarity or any concrete commitment from the Government to extend financial support for businesses and households, to mitigate the ongoing high cost-of-living crisis, means people are now facing a threatening precipice in just five weeks – at the end of February.
"The Taoiseach has said there will be no ‘cliff edge’ for householders; however, those words are empty and hollow, as not a single decision has been taken by the government to extend subsidies for energy measures beyond the end of February.
"Equally, the government has completely failed to provide any clarity on whether the reduced VAT and excise rates for electricity, gas, petrol, and diesel will continue well-beyond the 1st of March.
"The government's lack of clarity regarding this issue, is causing significant stress and anxiety for thousands of people."
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