Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn proposed that Belfast City Council establish a Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund, to help provide a safety net for those most at need this winter.

Cllr Flynn said "I am glad that council has agreed our proposal today to set up an emergency scheme, intended to provide much needed support for vulnerable people and families this winter who are due to face immense hardship."

"I intend this fund to provide one-off £100 payments to those people & families most in need across our city."

"However, it should not be up to the council to provide this much needed relief, we should have a functioning executive with ministers ready to implement a region wide relief scheme, with a fuel poverty strategy to back it up and an energy strategy fit to meet our long term goals of energy security, but we are where we are and where the executive parties fail, the Green Party will do what we can to support people this winter"

A further report detailing administration of the scheme will come over the next few weeks.

ENDS