Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a comment to add. The scheme is failing on the basis that it is being run centrally by the SEAI. I suggest that the rolling-out of the scheme by local authorities be looked at. They could do it in conjunction with the disabled access grants and the housing aid for older people. The local authorities have the network to carry out the inspections and to allow the work to go ahead. It seems the SEAI has created another layer of approvals and whatever else and is excluding many local contractors from doing the work. We are talking about value for money, but I think we would get a hell of a lot more value out of it if we put the additional resources into the local authorities and asked them to run the scheme. We would deliver quickly to where it is needed to help people in fuel poverty. It is something that might be considered in the context of how the whole scheme has performed since its introduction. It has failed many people and there are many people waiting from 18 months to two years to have an inspection, which is totally unacceptable.