Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Government has set a target of retrofitting half a million homes between now and 2030. That sounds impressive but when one analyses the detail one soon discovers that the figure is only 5,000 more homes per year than was originally laid out in the national development plan. Plus none of the homes, or very few of them, will be deep retrofitted because a B2 rating does not allow for this.

Is the project ambitious enough? Will we need to provide additional incentives to individuals? We hear stuff in the media. People listening to this debate probably do not have a clue. How much would it cost to retrofit a house in Donegal that was built in the early 1980s and bring it up to a B2 or A1 standard? People are scared to do such work because they do not have the necessary money and do not see that supports are available. The supports provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland are great if one can afford a portion of the cost and is willing to wait for the savings over the medium and long term. Many people cannot afford to do so. Are additional supports required?