Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has said new figures show the true scale of the government’s failure to tackle energy prices and give families the support that they need.
The Dublin MEP said:
“Figures I obtained last week showed that the number of people in energy arrears had hit a new record of 301,379.
“New figures show that, unfortunately, this was only the tip of the iceberg.
“Of the 300,000 in arrears, over 176,449 have been in arrears for over 90 days, which is another record high.
“In addition, the total value of the arrears was at €466.46, up 49.8% since January 2022.
“All of this leaves the total arrears for households across Ireland at €140.50 million.
“Along with this huge financial burden, there are more families than ever before that are having their electricity cut off.
“There were 161 disconnections in May, bringing the total this year to 733. By this time in 2023, there had only been 154 disconnections, meaning there’s been a jump of 375% since then.
“I have been calling for the government to drastically reform electricity to bring down costs for households since I was a senator, but they have failed to do this at every turn.
“The crippling costs of electricity is putting families under huge pressure at a time when many are already struggling.
“Despite this, the government is ruling out energy credits or any other support as part of the upcoming budget.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are acting like the cost-of-living crisis is a buzzword with no real life impact.
“They need to step up and give families and local businesses the support that they need.”
