Sinn Féin has called on the Government to immediately introduce a moratorium on energy disconnections and not wait until December.
"The October bills are arriving now, and they are landing like a body blow," Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil.
The Sinn Féin leader said many families on pay-as-you-go meters are now having many "dark days" because they cannot afford to pay for electricity.
Ms McDonald said no household must be disconnected this winter and there has to be an urgency about this.
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Responding, the Taoiseach said the Government is not standing by and the Budget payments have given people the wherewithal to avoid disconnections.
Mícheál Martin said NGOs had warned against increasing emergency credit for those on pay as you go meters.
He said Government does not want to go down this route because it could lead to further debt for families.
Minister for Transport, Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan will continue to engage with energy companies to find a mechanism to prevent these households being disconnected, he said.
