The Society of St Vincent de Paul says it's dealing with people who have to choose whether to eat or heat their homes. The arctic snap has only served to exacerbate the difficulties they're facing as they struggle to pay their energy bills or even buy a bag of coal.
The charity says the rising costs of fuel and food mean people are juggling their weekly bills to try and make ends meet.
Our reporter Jodie Curran spoke with Madeline Uí Mhealóid who is the Cavan rep for SVP about the current situation at a local level:
Advertisement