A two-day conference on tackling fuel poverty in Europe is taking place in Dublin.
It is estimated that 65 million Europeans live in fuel poverty, which is associated with more than 30,000 winter deaths in Europe annually.
Irish fuel poverty is among the highest in Northern Europe.
There are proportionately more winter deaths in Ireland than in countries with similar or colder climates, such as Denmark, Norway and Canada.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte launched the Energy Action European Fuel Poverty Conference.
The conference aims to bring together fuel poverty researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from all over Europe to find areas of common ground and seek an EU-based model for addressing fuel poverty.
