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Cabinet to sign-off on €100 electricity credit scheme
The Cabinet is set to sign-off on a €210 million legislative plan at their weekly meeting this morning, which aims to assist households struggling with the rising cost of electricity bills.
Under the scheme, all domestic electricity customers will receive a once-off €100 credit, which will be operated by ESB Networks.
The scheme will not be means tested and will also apply to people on pre-pay contracts. People will not need to apply for it.
If agreed at Cabinet today, the legislation could be considered by the Oireachtas as early as next week, and the energy credit introduced before the end of March.
It is understood that the Coalition will seek support from Opposition parties to waive pre-legislative scrutiny in order to speed-up its passage.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar will seek Cabinet approval for legislation which will provide workers with a legal right to request remote working from their employer.
He said yesterday that the new draft law will also enable an employee to appeal a refusal of remote working, by an employer, to the Workplace Relations Commission.
However, the Tánaiste also said his legislation would not guarantee workers a right to remote working.
He said this was because, following extensive engagement with the Attorney General, the Coalition concluded that it can “only interfere in contracts that employers and employees have signed to a certain extent.”
Also at Cabinet, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien will seek approval to allow Dublin’s O’Devaney Gardens project proceed to construction.
The development of the former apartment complex, near Stoneybatter, has been the subject of political and planning rows for more than a decade.
The total number of homes contained in the plan being considered today is 1,047 homes.
The development involves 275 social housing units, or 30% of the total, and 248 affordable purchase units, which is 22%.
The remaining 524 units, or 48%, is set to be private housing.
However, there is some ongoing engagement between Dublin City Council and the developer, Bartra, to provide some additional cost rental homes out of the private housing stock.
Article Source – Cabinet to sign-off on €100 electricity credit scheme – RTE – Paul Cunningham
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