Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and Minister of State. At the end of June, a total of €28.2 million had been spent under this subhead.

Expenditure is 15% below the mid-year profile of €33.4 million. Does that suggest we are under-spending? Are the moneys not being taken up and used? If so, is that a concern for the Minister? How would he like to see the matter rectified?

I support the concept of co-ops. I grew up in a community that was well served by the co-operative movement. The traditional co-ops were almost one-stop-shops for rural communities. There is tremendous potential in the co-operative model. An entire community in a local area could have ownership of a microgenerator and be incentivised to create surplus electricity as part of a co-operative project, as in the traditional creamery model espoused by Horace Plunkett and Fr. Finlay. I see great potential in building on that concept.

I understand from my colleague that the proposed expenditure under subhead C, as mentioned by the Minister, will increase by 20% into the future. I hope this considerable increase might translate into improved schemes to assist individuals who are doing work on their houses. I recently came across one or two examples. The grant for insulating a standard house is €650. Given that the cost is considerably higher, I am not sure it is sufficiently attractive for it to be taken up to a greater extent.

I have no difficulty in supporting the ongoing retrofitting of council housing stock. I wonder where we are on that issue.