Eamon Ryan: 'We don’t want anyone to go cold this winter'

Vivienne Clarke

Negotiations among EU member states on an energy price cap will continue, the Minister for the Environment has said.

Eamon Ryan said a price cap had potentially huge consequences which could cost a lot “if we get it wrong”.

Speaking on both Newstalk and RTÉ radio, Mr Ryan said it was easy for the opposition to call for a price cap, but it was important for the Government to get it right, to ensure the best use of public money.

The war in Ukraine looked likely to continue for some time and energy could continue to be used as a weapon, he warned. In the meantime it was important that people “do not go cold” this winter.

The energy credits included in the budget along with social welfare payments would help and ESRI research had indicated that this was the best way to help the poorest homes, he said.

Mr Ryan dismissed a call by Social Democrats for holiday homes to be excluded from energy credits. To do that would take time and the aim was to get assistance to people as quickly as possible. Taking the time to determine the circumstances of every family and every home would delay payments, he explained.

While the issue of an energy price cap had not been resolved at the meeting of EU energy ministers, a lot of progress had been made on other issues, Mr Ryan said.

It was important for the EU to remain united during this increasingly difficult period, he said. Joint negotiations with energy suppliers could bilaterally bring down prices.

The world was moving faster “in the green direction” and Ireland would be to the fore, he said.

Solutions in the public interest would be made in relation to energy storage, he said. Planning for that and energy security had commenced before the war. However, he said any plans would take years to come to fruition because they would have to go through the necessary planning process and construction.

Mr Ryan added that he did not believe the concrete levy would be delayed, but details would not be available until the Finance Bill on October 20th. Ultimately the public was going to have to pay “one way or the other.”

When asked about the possibility of energy credits for "pay as you go" customers, Mr Ryan said there were supports in place through MABS, and organisations like the St Vincent de Paul. If people were in difficulty they would get the help and support they needed. “We don’t want anyone to go cold this winter,” he said.