Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the adaptation grant, in another area of work the Government is looking at the possibility of having a blended grant and loan finance model for retrofitting private properties. It would be a shame if it was to be introduced without that type of facility being made available to private homeowners for the purpose of adapting their own home. It would not be a significant additional cost, but having such a model whereby someone would receive a grant, regardless of whether the figure was up to €30,000, and could then access long-term low-interest finance would be eminently sensible. I urge whoever is looking at the matter - be it the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government or some other Department - with reference to energy efficiency retrofitting, to talk to the delegates to see if it could be applicable to adaptation grants. It seems it would be a solution that would work for many families.