Dr. Ciaran Byrne:

I thank the Deputy for his kind comments. We would share his take on the situation. We believe there is quality and confidence in the system. At the start of the process, there is a code of practice in place. Along with the SEAI, we wrote S.R. 54, which is the standard for retrofitting in Ireland. Before you get anywhere near a building, we have codified quality standards. We also work directly and closely with contractors to ensure they are suitably qualified. For example, to participate in the solar PV scheme, the contractor must be a registered electrical installer and must also undertake a solar PV installation design course. Before we go out to the market, we are assessing the contractors. In the context of the newly launched one-stop shop services, OSSS, some of the criticism might, perhaps, have been that we were slow, but that was because we were really focusing on the quality and the capabilities to deliver at the right level. We then move to doing the work, the other side of which involves looking at the assurances afterwards. We have a comprehensive inspection process within the SEAI. Last year, for example, we undertook over 4,000 inspections on buildings. Our focus is not so much on the after-effects, but on building confidence from the start so that we can minimise at the other end. We are very assured that we have the systems in place.

I will counter and make the point that given the scale of what we are doing, things will go wrong. That is part of life, but we have the systems and structures in place.