Archbishop Farrell issues charitable reminder on energy rebate

People who may not need the energy rebate, to be paid from April next, should donate it “to the Society of St Vincent de Paul, or other charities supporting the unfortunate,” Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell has said.

“Targeting resources on those who need them most is fair and sensible. When targeting is difficult to achieve, there is an onus on those who don’t need support to take their own responsibility for acting fairly and in consideration of the needs of others,” he said.

“Those who will receive the energy rebate over coming weeks, but don’t actually need it to cover their expenses, have the opportunity to direct it to those in greater need,” he said.

Paid to all

Measures to deal with inflationary pressures were unveiled after a meeting of the Government’s economic sub-committee last Thursday.

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It will mean a rebate on household energy bills increasing to €200, including VAT. This is being paid to everyone, regardless of income, while public transport fares are set to be cut by 20 per cent from April for the rest of the year also.

People already in receipt of the fuel allowance are set to receive an additional payment of €125 and those eligible for the drug payment scheme, which places a cap on the maximum a family can pay on medicines a month, will see the limit reduced from €100 to€80.

Archbishop Farrell said that it was "right that public policy should support families and prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable".

The Beatitudes, “often described as the Christian’s identity card”, called us “to put the needs of others before our own selfish interests. That applies to the way in which we organise ourselves as a society, as well as to how we live our own lives,” he said.

“The current challenge of the steep rise in inflation, especially in energy prices, is a case in point,” he added.