Opposition parties have said the Government's energy credit towards electricity bills is totally insufficient.
Ministers have agreed to a once off payment for households to ease the cost of electricity bills this winter.
The cost will include VAT, so will be worth €113.50 to each household.
It's hoped the payment will be made in March, and it will go directly to the suppliers at a cost of around €100 million to the State.
But opposition TDs say it doesn't go nearly far enough - including Solidarity's Mick Barry:
"We think the enrgy credit is totally insufficient. It's estimated that the average household may end up pay €1,000 and more extra."
Labour's Ged Nash has a similar view:
"The Government doesn't simply understand the scale and extent of this problem for working families across this country."
Some acceptance of this on the Government benches too, with Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick:
"We do have to keep looking at it. The €100 is welcome but people's bills have been really high and people are really under pressure."
Senior Ministers have said they will keep a watching brief on the situation, and this may not be the last move to lower the cost of energy
