John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I simply asked the question - I am very obliged that the witnesses answered - to give the scale of the challenge that faces us. The Government's climate action plan refers to 300,000 heat pumps. We know from our field visit to the Tipperary Energy Agency that it is not just about replacing the heat pumps. If I was to get a heat pump in my house, because of its age, I would have to replace all the radiators. Multiple items would have to be replaced; it is not just a case of replacing the boiler with a heat pump.

In other committees the time ticks down in terms of the amount allocated to the questioner rather than the combined question and answer time. I have limited time. Could the witnesses comment on the challenges of retrofitting 1970s and 1980s apartment complexes?

One of the most impressive pieces of work we did was the field trip organised by the Tipperary Energy Agency and Tipperary County Council. As far as I know the agency provides a one-stop-shop, so if I want to retrofit my house I go to the agency, get the BER organised, it finds out what range of retrofit I want and it provides accredited engineers and companies so that we do not get cowboys. We need to consider a similar model either on a county-by county basis or at national level. As Deputy Dooley said, one of the greatest challenges that faces us when we decide to retrofit is that we get bamboozled with the volume of information coming at us. Second, because of the amount it will cost, people are entitled to the best advice and not to have a cowboy or cowgirl come in and fleece us for a low-rate job. What are the thoughts of the witnesses on that?