O'Neill Concerned Over Fuel Issues

O’Neill Welcomes Heating Scheme For Annsborough Down District SDLP Councillor Eamonn O’Neill welcomed the new heating plan for flats in Annsborough. He said, “Most NI Housing Executive properties in Annsborough have been included under one or other of the recent heating schemes but the problems around the flats, especially in the New Meadow Row were structurally  difficult to overcome. “However, a new scheme for gas powered central heating has been worked on and will be introduced. This will involve installing an underground, shared gas tank with each flat separately metered. This is an innovative scheme, the first of this type for the NIHE .” Councillor O’Neill is Down Council’s representative on the NI Housing Council and has been working on different schemes for the District. He added, “This scheme was due to start in April of next year but as I was very worried about the health and circumstances of some tenants who had come to me and the fears they had about facing another winter like last year, I made representations to bring the date forward. I am very pleased to confirm that the scheme is now scheduled for November of this year. This is good news and I hope the contractors and the Housing Executive can stick to that date”. [caption id="attachment_21086" align="alignleft" width="280" caption="Down District Councillor Eamonn O'Neill."][/caption] Castlewellan SDLP Attack Fuel Price Rises The Chairman of the Castlewellan SDLP branch, John Duggan, expressed his shock at the recently announced price hike by Northern Ireland Electricity.  Councillor Eamonn O’Neill added, ”I think that this announcement of 19% is totally unjustified at any particular time, but given people’s present financial difficulties it is an unmerciful severe hike. I am not just shocked but actually frightened of the effect that this will have on the most vulnerable in our society. This is another one of the many price increases we have had forced on us in recent months. “A bag of coal is on average £16, an unbelievable sum even just a year ago. As well there have been huge increases in other fuels such as heating oil and fuel generally. This is all directly linked with the recession we are in which was not made by the people who are now paying for it. I think there is a growing sense of injustice about all this. “It is time central government began seriously to look at the closer regulation of fuel and indeed the level of taxation government is collecting from fuel. All this makes nonsense of what has been done to alleviate Fuel Poverty. What are the Fuel Poverty statistics going to be like next year?” added Councillor O’Neill. ]]>