When money is too free

THIS week’s decision to approve a €210m scheme to credit all domestic electricity customers with €100 in 2022 proved controversial from the off.

Approximately 2.1m domestic electricity account holders are set to benefit from the once-off payment to their electricity accounts.

The government dubbed it as ‘one of a range of measures to mitigate the impact of rising energy costs’.

The more cynical amongst us dubbed it a means of securing votes for the next election in light of recent unfavourable polls (see main editorial, above).

But the fact the allowance won’t be means-tested has certainly raised eyebrows, too. There is no doubt the credit will be received by thousands of account holders who don’t need it.

It smacks a bit of Michael O’Leary’s comments, a decade ago, about the non means-tested children’s allowance, which he branded ‘ridiculous’, given his income.

At the time he suggested the allowance should only be paid to those who need it, through income support schemes.

One wonders why the government has learnt so little in 10 years.