Mayo Councillor calls again for Government action on home heating oil

Mayo Councillor Harry Barrett has reiterated his call for Government action on home heating oil. Councillor Barrett has highlighted the plight that one of is constituents is currently going through.

"A woman who works every single day, called me and told me she feels like a failure because she cannot afford to heat her home which is only fuelled by oil. She said working full time wasn't paying the bills anymore. She said the Government’s decision to cut the cost of home heating oil by just 2 cent per litre shows how out of touch they are with the reality facing families like hers.

He continued. "At a time when a fill of oil can cost over €1,750, a 2 cent per litre reduction is barely noticeable and does absolutely nothing to ease the pressure on Mayo families already struggling, like the one phoning me.

“This is the kind of measure that might look like action, but it's a cop-out. Families are still facing massive bills on top of food inflation and high rent, and this won’t take the sting out of it in any real way.”

Councillor Barrett said the biggest concern is for the working poor across Mayo, people who are earning but qualify for no support and are left to carry the full burden of rising costs. “They’re paying full price for everything and being squeezed from every direction.”

He also said older people are being hit especially hard, with many now afraid to use their heating. “You have elderly people sitting in cold homes, trying to make a tank of oil last as long as possible. A 2-cent cut is a joke.”

Councillor Barrett said the Government has shown in the past that it can act quickly and decisively when it wants to but is now failing to do so for ordinary households. “We’ve seen fast action to support banks, changes made for landlords, and VAT reductions brought in for other sectors. But when it comes to helping families heat their homes, the response just isn’t there.

“People need real help that actually reduces costs. This 2-cent cut doesn’t come close. I want no family to have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family. I want working families to have the dignity of being able to heat their homes and not feel bad about it and I am asking again for Minister Dillon to immediately raise this with cabinet colleagues.”