On Wednesday last 15th October, the Social Inclusion Measures Group of the County Development Board Donegal County Council held a seminar in the Mount Errigal Hotel on the ever-increasing issue of fuel poverty in Donegal. Cllr. Francis Conaghan, Chairperson of the County Development Board advised the seminar that ‘owing to a number of factors including the recent downturn in the economy, increased fuel and energy prices and poor energy efficiency in the home that fuel poverty will have an impact on an increased proportion of the countys population this year’.
Mr. Michael O’hEanaigh, Director of Community, Culture and Enterprise, Donegal County Council added that the seminar aims to bring together a picture of fuel poverty in the county; to explore the impact on the most vulnerable in our society and to identify collaborative ways to address the issue in both a local and national context. Mr. O’hEanaigh commended the CDB Social Inclusion Measures group for highlighting fuel poverty as a key priority action and for creating space to identify innovative collaborative actions that can be undertaken to address some of these issues.
Representatives with a key role in tackling fuel poverty from organisations addressed the seminar, these were Mr. Charles Roarty, CEO, Energy Action, Ms. Colette Brolly, Western Health Action Zone, Ms. Margaret Glackin from Action Inishowen and Aine Ni Lamhin from MFG.
For further information please contact Ms. Donna McGroarty, Assistant Social Inclusion Coordinator, Donegal County Council on (074) 91 72497 or dmcgroarty@donegalcoco.ie