BY MICHAEL BRESLIN

A councillor has made an impassioned plea to help the elderly with their heating costs during the price hike of fuel.

Councillor Frank Britton, who is a senior social worker, this week made the plea on behalf of the elderly in Fermanagh.

Mr Britton told members that people on fixed incomes could be facing a very difficult Winter when it came to paying their gas, oil and electricity bills.

"I know from past experience that some people on fixed incomes that they have to pay out more than they're taking in, and they will forego either food or heat in order to balance their budget. It is causing me deep concern, particularly in a county like ours where we have a high proportion of people on fixed incomes who are living in rural areas and don't have easy access to elements of support, for example day centres to relieve some of the burden of heating their own homes."

The Council's Environmental Health Committee have been informed that the Western Investing for Health was seeking support for the development and implementation of an Action Plan in respect of 'fuel poverty'. The main areas of action identified are energy efficiency, fuel prices and income.

The Council was invited to nominate an officer or members to sit on a Steering Group to reflect the wide range of interest and support in the project. Councillors Pat Cox and Bert Johnston have been nominated to sit on the steering group.

Domhnall Ó Cobhthaigh said it was now clear 'we are living in a new era of high energy prices and there is little chance of that changing'.

He then suggested a possible solution, pioneered by the former Lord Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone and followed up by his Party colleague, Martina Anderson MLA.

"She has recently visited Venezuela and met with representatives of PDVSA, their state oil company, to see if residents in the Six Counties could enjoy the same benefits as those negotiated by Ken Livingstone for Londoners.

"In the London scheme, elderly people and those on benefits were able to pursue price-subvented (subsidised) oil provided by the Venezuelan people under the leadership of Hugo Chavez as a gesture of solidarity."

However, the idea found little support among the members, one of whom, Alex Baird, highlighted price variations at the pumps between Coleraine and Enniskillen.

He commented: "There's 10p a litre of a difference between the price of fuel in Coleraine and in Fermanagh. Somebody is screwing us. I don't know who but one thing I do know is that as the price of a barrel of oil rises, the price at the pumps rises, yet it's rather strange that when there's a reduction in the price of oil, there has been no reduction at the pumps. Somebody is screwing us."

Pat Cox, who is a plumbing contractor, said home heating was the biggest problem in any house. He insisted that oil was still the cheapest heating fuel.

But, Bertie Kerr pointed the finger at the trend some years back by the NI Housing Executive and Housing Associations to remove fireplaces and replace them with oil heating systems.

"People have no alternative but to use these oil-heating appliances. There are people buying 5-gallon drums to keep their fire going over the Summer time; what are they going to do in the Winter time?

"Oil has come down in price, but it hasn't come down to $50 a barrel where it should be at. I am reliably informed it could stabilise at $100 in six months' time. The Housing Executive should find funds from somewhere to give these people a grant to relieve the situation for this Winter anyway."

Gerry McHugh, MLA blamed the oil speculators for the present crisis.

"I remember five years a go we had a similar emergency and visiting homes with one-bar heaters in one room. Some people are going to be a lot worse off nowthan then It's all right to say that oil is the cheapest form of heating, but it isn't when you can't buy £300 worth at a time and you can't afford £50 worth.

"Those people can't afford more than £10-£15 at a time."

Frank Britton then proposed that the Council make representations to the Department and to the Minister, urging them to do something as a matter of urgency.

"We must not wait for reports coming from the Erne hospital or health and social services that people are in great difficulties. That's really likely to arise this Winter, and it's the first Winter I have seen in many years we're likely to face a crisis."

The chief executive, Rodney Connor confirmed Western Investing for Health had contacted him for names to sit on its steering group. He expected a meeting to be called fairly quickly.