The Workers’ Party have called for a special fuel bonus to be given to pensioners and other social welfare recipients on account of the prolonged cold spell which has been gripping the country for the last three weeks.

Cork City Councillor Ted Tynan said that the severe weather was adding to the hardship of a winter with no Christmas Bonus and with income cuts for most social welfare dependents.

Cllr. Tynan said that a once off payment of €100 should be made to those worst affected.   “This would not be a huge burden on an economy that is able to bail out bankers to the tune of €54 billion but it would be a help to people who have been struggling to heat their homes.  While the Winter Fuel allowance exists, the present cold snap has already entered the meteorological record books and isn’t over yet.    People, particularly the elderly, need to keep their homes heated all the time in this kind of weather and this small payment would help a lot”, he said.

“This is every bit as much an emergency for people as the recent floods have been for many and the price of a bag of coal or bottle of gas could literally be a life or death matter for elderly people as this severe weather continues”, said Councillor Tynan.

Issued 5th January 2010