Social Development Minister Alex Attwood MLA , today welcomed Airtricity's announcement to enter the energy market in Northern Ireland.

He emphasised that this could help drive down energy prices, in turn helping in the battle against fuel poverty.

Alex Attwood said: "Helping to tackle fuel poverty is a big priority for me. I very much welcome this extra competition in the energy market. Any potential reduction in electricity bills will be welcome news for many households across Northern Ireland who are struggling to pay high energy bills, with falling household incomes, as a result of the economic downturn.

I will shortly launch a consultation exercise on proposals for a new Fuel Poverty Strategy and I would encourage contributions from as wide an audience as possible."