Derry and Strabane fuel poverty fund may not happen, says councillor

A hardship fund to help people in the Derry and Strabane District Council area who are struggling to pay their home heating bills may never happen, a councillor has said.

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The plan was to issue one-off payments directly to people"s energy providers.

But it has been delayed due to problems finding a company to administer the scheme and issue the payments.

Councillor Rory Farrell said the council had a budget of about £250,000 to help 2,500 households.

But he added that if the council failed to appoint a company - referred to as a "fuel payment partner" - to run the scheme was "not going to happen".

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle on Wednesday, Mr Farrell said there was "agreement across the parties and individuals within council that it needs to happen".

The SDLP councillor said the scheme "all hinges on the appointment of a fuel payment partner".

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin apologised to the public for the delay in rolling the scheme out.

"We were working with a fuel payment partner but unfortunately after working with them for a couple of weeks it turned out they weren"t able to administer the payment," councillor Harkin said.

"It is going to go out to tender again."

Mr Harkin said he hoped the scheme would be able to move forward "as soon as possible."