Northern Ireland urgently needs confirmation over energy support payments

An online petition is calling for ‘Immediate energy support payments for Northern Ireland like the rest of the UK’.

The petition (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/628260) states:

“We call on the government to immediately implement energy support payments for Northern Ireland, in line with those for the rest of the UK. The UK government has a greater responsibility now in the absence of an executive.”

Immediacy and urgency before Christmas is the main point, regardless of new promises for January.

If it is going to be January then it has to be the first half of January.

If payments are going in after January 19 that brings into question the fact that we could have an election on that date, and also that it is the leanest time of year for most households.

There has been a complete lack of dignity for our most vulnerable people whilst none of us know what is happening about potential instalments, single payments or their timing.

The petition tries to highlight to the rest of the UK how different our market is, with 68% of our households on oil-fired heating rather than combined energy contracts.

It also tries to gain support from Great Britain people who will support the petition as they would like to see us having equality and equity with everybody in these islands, including the equivalent support in the Republic of Ireland which does involve direct funds for those most in need. The petition can be signed by all UK residents.

It puzzles me why unionists are not falling over backwards to support this as it instils continuity with Great Britain. Seems counterintuitive not to do so.

Also, I think there should be a deadline of energy support confirmation of December 8 which ties in with the current deadline for the return of an executive to avoid an assembly election.

Despite some positive words from Simon Coveney recently I believe that this deadline, agreed to in January 2020, must be honoured unless we have three things:

• The timing of the energy support scheme confirmed. This is now a totemic issue;

• A clear programme of protocol negotiations for reassurances for those who are concerned;

• A clear signal of political will from the DUP to restore the assembly and executive.

All of this must be in place by December 8 otherwise there is no case for any extensions or delays and the existing agreement must be honoured with an election on January 19.

There cannot be an extension without a clear purpose, and there cannot be an extension without sensible reform - primarily the removal of any loopholes for a speaker and a second joint first minister.

A lack of progress cannot be rewarded, despite this being the season of goodwill and despite the fact that an election in January would be inconvenient both for the political establishment and for the media.

We cannot be distracted by tinsel and empty promises.

Gareth Burns, Kircubbin