Cork TD Mick Barry says that many pay as you go gas and electricity customers will skip meals instead of going to community welfare offices.
The Socialist Party TD was responding to comments made by Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who said that pay as you go customers won't be disconnected this winter, and that help was available from social welfare offices.
Speaking to RedFM news, Deputy Barry says the government need to come up with a better plan.
"Its not a good look for Government Ministers, many of whom are millionaires, to be asking ordinary people on Pay As You Go to go to social welfare to get money to prevent their gas and electricity from being disconnected when everybody else is spared that humiliation.
"The reality is that many people will choose to skip meals rather than put themselves through that experience and the Government need to cop themselves on and come up with a better plan."
