Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Lahart. I visited Tipperary Energy Agency and was very impressed by what it does. As with the roll-out of broadband in local authority areas, it is a question of having teams within the local authorities, or bolted onto them, so the arrangement can work and each idiosyncrasy in each area can be examined. One could deal with things in smaller packages for the consumer.

With regard to retrofitting, and staying on the subject of smart finance, has the Department considered any innovative approaches related to repaying through energy bills or property tax? If so, when will they be launched? Is there any talk of timelines?

My next question is also for the Department. Could the European Union play a greater role in accelerating the widespread provision of low-cost green finance? It has been said there are myriad options in Europe. Let us boil it down to Ireland's current economic position, standard of living and cost of living. I would be grateful for answers.