Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said it strikes “a strange chord” that political leaders in Northern Ireland would call on Sir Keir to act on high energy prices when there was funding “waiting to be dispensed”.
“He was as aghast as I was to discover that £81m is sitting there waiting to be dispensed to assist consumers in Northern Ireland,” Robinson said.
All households in Northern Ireland are set to get a £30 per year reduction in electricity bills as part of the UK government scheme.
The Department for the Economy said introducing the £81m scheme requires new legislation so it may not be operating until later this year or next year.
“This commitment was made at the turn of the year, four months ago and we have seen nothing,” Robinson said.
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said they also spoke to Sir Keir about oil prices but said they made it clear they believe the way it has been handled by the executive illustrates “the dysfunction we are trying to fix”.
“This isn’t what people need when they are anxious about heat and other potential shocks,” SDLP leader Claire Hanna said.