A TD has pointed out a major flaw in the electricity credit scheme, which she describes as a 'waste' and is calling on the government to make changes.
As part of the Budget 2023 announcement, the government vowed to help every household with rising energy costs by offering support worth €600.
Every single electricity customer in Ireland would therefore receive this boost in €200 installments between Christmas and the end of the winter months in 2023.
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However, Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has said the universal method of handing out electricity credits should be scrapped in favour of a means test based on income.
Ms Whitmore said there are around 62,000 holiday homes in Ireland that should be excluded from the new scheme, because unoccupied homes will be benefitting from the boost.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast on Wednesday, she said this is a waste of money - costing the government around €1.2 billion.
"It's not a targeted measure, so this means that every single account will receive this €600, and that will include 62,000 holiday homes," she said. "It's a waste of taxpayers' money, to be honest because the individuals who are well enough off to afford not one home but two homes will get a double credit essentially.
"When you add it all up together, it actually amounts to €50 million over the course of the year that the Government will spend on electricity credit for holiday homes."
She went on to say that more should have been done to make sure these homes were not included in the scheme.
"It was a year ago that the Government first did this, so they should have used the last year to work out a more targeted way of actually allocating this money. They have completely wasted the last number of months in working out a fairer way of actually allocating this money."
Deputy Whitmore then said not only should the credit not be universal, it also should not be offered to people on higher salaries.
"It shouldn't be universal - and I've made the point repeatedly, actually, that those on higher incomes should not be getting this as well. The thing about this energy crisis is we don't know how long it's going to go on for; we don't know how much [it will] cost.
"It should have been targeted, absolutely... they should use the Covid-like scheme, because that was incredibly successful, and that made cash transfers to people based on their income.”
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