Decision on energy credits will be made soon – Ryan

Eamon Ryan, the leader of the Green Party, stated that the government will decide “in the next few weeks” whether or not to extend electricity credits into the following winter.

The Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications, and Transport stated that Covid-19 supports were winded down over time and that this issue would require something similar in an interview with RTÉ.

He claimed that reducing the credits is “less likely” and that, if they were to continue, they would probably continue in their current form.

“You’re best to really hold your fire on those to periods when bills are the highest going into the winter period,” he said.

“We waited until October and we really went at it big then with social welfare increases as well as credits. I think we should stick with the approach that worked.”

When asked if he would consider going into Government with Sinn Féin, Mr Ryan said the scale and urgency of change needed regarding the environment means the Green Party cannot wait for the ideal political partners.

He said that they would work with all parties to implement the change because they believed that every political viewpoint needed to be represented in it.

“But Sinn Féin also have to change. They have to start taking the environmental agenda seriously and show the ambition, scale, response, funding and resources that need to go to that in their policy approach.

“We would enter any such negotiations as absolutely honest, respecting all parties and their mandate, but also holding a line that really we can’t delay now.

“You can’t put it down as a tick-box greenwashing option. It has to be real.”

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