An Taisce urges fuel supports be targeted at households facing energy poverty

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• The scale of the support
• Targeted help for households in need
• Put more emphasis on public transport
• Timing

An Taisce has warned Ireland is providing far larger public support for fossil fuel use than most EU countries, and it is urging the Government to refocus assistance ahead of the Budget. The environmental group wants help directed at households facing energy poverty and more investment in public transport instead of broad fuel subsidies.

The scale of the support

Professor Barry McMullin, a member of An Taisce’s Climate Committee, said current measures to subsidise fuel could be running into the high hundreds of millions — and may be close to €6 billion when additional supports from this year are included.

“With the extra subsidies this year, it could well be getting close to six billion,” he said, adding the level of assistance put Ireland at roughly five times the EU average for fossil fuel subsidies. “It really is just a mad trajectory that we’re on.”

Targeted help for households in need

An Taisce argues that blanket fuel supports are poorly targeted and that tighter eligibility rules should direct aid to those most at risk of energy poverty. The group says narrower, means-tested measures would better protect vulnerable households while avoiding incentives that keep people reliant on fossil fuels.

Put more emphasis on public transport

The group is also calling for stronger backing for public transport, including credits for the Leap card and a reversal of the recent increase in general transport fares.

“We would prefer in the first instance to see much better support for public transport,” Professor McMullin said. He noted that public transport is used more heavily by lower-income households and therefore acts as a naturally targeted form of support.

“So really increasing public transport fares is just the absolute opposite of a sensible action in the current situation,” he added.

Timing

Budget 2027 is due to be announced on Tuesday, 6 October, and An Taisce is urging policymakers to use it to shift support away from broad fossil fuel subsidies and toward measures that help those on low incomes and encourage low-carbon travel.