Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the officials from SEAI. Mr. Motherway indicated that €500 million was being spent in the economy through grants and so forth. Some of the people registered by SEAI to install solar panels have complained about the treatment of smaller companies in comparison to larger companies. I understand that some of the larger companies can apply for grants on behalf of their customers whereas small companies that employ one or two people are unable to do so. Issues also arise in regard to inspections. People who previously worked in other construction sectors have experience of interacting with other bodies. They are asking that SEAI officials meet with installers on site when issues arise in respect of insulation. I have received several complaints by smaller companies which have been set up to install solar panels.

The warmer homes scheme comes within the remit of the SEAI and significant work has been undertaken on the scheme. What is its likely future? I am aware that pilot schemes were initiated by some local authorities to insulate their housing stock and, as far as I understand, these schemes worked extremely well. I suggest a pilot scheme should be considered for rural cottages built by local authorities, particularly those built 30 or 35 years ago when the provision of insulation was non-existent. As a result, there are significant energy waste issues. If our aim and that of the SEAI is to reduce the amount of energy being used by householders and businesses, retrofitting is a major issue.

I have concerns about a number of issues, but I understand there are time constraints. On renewable energy resources, particularly wind energy, we have seen major benefits. However, there are issues with local communities. How are we to integrate schemes and respond to the concerns of local communities? There are questions with regard to small-scale operators as opposed to larger installation companies. My main concerns relate to inspections, the warmer homes scheme and integration.