Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Walsh for his presentation. The retrofit scheme is fantastic, and I think everybody wants it to achieve, but I have some concerns from what I have heard and what I read earlier. I can sum up those concerns with some of the figures the witnesses have just presented. Dr. Byrne mentioned that the SEAI is aiming for 65,000 B2 ratings or thereabouts per annum once this is ramped up, but with the 19 one-stop shops, assuming they are capable of doing what Mr. O'Mahony has just said, which is about 500 ratings of B2 or higher per annum, we are looking at a shortfall of around 55,000 on the basis that 500 multiplied by 19 is just short of 10,000, so there is a significant gap there. While the witnesses have mentioned optimism and expectation, I am concerned from what I am hearing that perhaps we have been too ambitious about being able to achieve these targets on the basis of the size of the sector, notwithstanding any other concerns about supply chains. The aspect of delivering at pace and the geographic spread of these large-scale contractors is important. I stress that this is not a criticism of either the SEAI or the targets, but it seems to me that 19 firms large enough to do this at scale simply is not enough. I would like the witnesses to put my mind at ease in that regard.

The other issue I wish to touch on - and I am glad Mr. Walsh started his contribution with this very point - is the level of support offered to lower income families who may currently be in energy poverty. Between the SEAI, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, my understanding is that about 58% of the overall budget is targeted at low-income families in social housing stock, among others. Within the public sector, and across the two Departments and the SEAI in co-ordination with local authorities, are the witnesses confident we will be able to achieve the targets and goals at local authority level in respect of those in local authority housing stock, among others, that are being set out for the SEAI?

Finally, I thank Dr. Byrne for the mention of the low-cost finance scheme being with the European Investment Bank. That was going to be one of my questions. Availability by quarter 4 of this year is to be welcomed, and I hope that goes well, but the witnesses might address the two major points I have made.