Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, I have to speak in the Chamber shortly. Apologies if I have to leave for that.

What number of those houses in 2021 does the Minister expect to be deep retrofit? Has Deputy Denis Naughten, as a Minister, supported the European Parliament's call for a 35% renewables target as part of the new renewables directive that is now in the trial process? Has the Department changed its position, which in its baseline assumption was that we would have a 40% renewables electricity target in 2030 or no increase in current levels? Given that this morning Baringa, a renowned international research energy organisation, was showing on behalf of the IWEA how we could get a 70% target, what is the Minister's target for renewable electricity in Ireland in 2030?

Lastly, in one of the submissions we had here, Mr. Paul Kenny from the Tipperary Energy Agency made the obvious and stark point that 67% of new houses are putting in fossil fuel heating systems which we will have to take out in the coming decades. Would the Minister consider introducing regulations to wind down and stop our use of fossil heating systems, given that we have heat-pump technology and solar-water heating alternatives, often Irish made and of high quality, which bring a range of benefits such as air quality and balancing system? Why are we still putting fossil fuel systems into any homes?