SDLP Opposition Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA has called for urgent action from the Executive to tackle fuel poverty, improve energy efficiency, and address the issue of damp that is impacting households across Northern Ireland.

Speaking following an Assembly motion on reducing household energy costs, Mr Durkan painted a stark picture of the reality facing families.

"The importance of a warm home cannot be overstated," Mr Durkan said, adding that while for many, autumn is a season of comfort, for a growing number of households "it brings only fear: fear of colder weather, higher bills and impossible choices." He stressed that this is "the grim reality facing thousands of families in 2025".

Mr Durkan highlighted systemic failures in housing and support schemes. He revealed that over the last three years, 40,000 reports of damp have been made to the Housing Executive, yet homes remain in "shocking conditions." He cited the Westway area in Creggan, where "older stock which has been left to mould and decay because necessary insulation works have been delayed time and time again," leading to residents suffering from persistent coughs, COPD, and asthma. He stated, "That cannot be a coincidence." He also raised a serious concern about vulnerable families, noting: "I’ve seen families with newborn babies placed in temporary accommodation so damp it’s unfit for anyone."

Furthermore, the flagship Affordable Warmth Scheme was described as underfunded and overwhelmed. The MLA noted that in the 2023/24 period, "just 24% of applicants received support, despite £millions in funding being available through Barnett consequential." He concluded that this situation is "simply unacceptable."

To fix the long-term problem, the SDLP is demanding a fundamental policy shift, urging the Executive not to leave low-income families behind in the push for a Just Transition.

Mr Durkan insisted that this means implementing a statutory fuel poverty target, a social energy tariff, and proper investment in retrofit programmes. He stressed that Northern Ireland "cannot remain the only part of these islands without a legal commitment to ending fuel poverty."

He concluded by laying the blame for the current crisis firmly at the Executive's door, asserting: "Every cold home, every child living with damp, every pensioner afraid to turn on the heating these is a failure of policy and failure on delivery at the hands of the Executive. We need to work together to change that and make warmth a right, not a privilege."