Debate contribution: Home Heating Oil Support Scheme
Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on .
- MLA
- Mr Gordon Lyons
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 29 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Home Heating Oil Support Scheme
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5761460
Read the official Assembly record
Text
First, I acknowledge the fact that it took some time to put the scheme together. It is because those are issues that, primarily, do not lie with the Department. We took the scheme on, we put it together and we delivered it. I said at the time that it was going to take a long time for this to materialise. We did not have everything that we needed and did not have all the necessary information and the databases, so officials have been working exceptionally hard to put that all in place. I know that it will offer only some help to those who require it, but I am glad that we were able to get that money from the Government and to add our own resource to it. I absolutely agree that people need further support at this time. People are really struggling. People who never thought that they would be in a position where they would be struggling based on their personal circumstances are finding it really difficult right now. I do not believe that the right approach is for us to put in place another scheme. The most simple and straightforward thing to do is for the UK Government to take direct action and cut tax. That is what they should be doing. That makes it easier not only for people to heat their homes but for them to drive their cars. The Government should not be using this as an opportunity to bring in extra tax revenue. They should be using this as an opportunity to cut people's taxes in order to make it easier for people who are struggling, and it helps the economy overall. I urge the Government to take the appropriate action because they have the levers that would enable real help to be given.
302 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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