Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests today. I wish to raise an old chestnut. Representatives of the SEAI were before us last week and I raised the issue of housing grants. I acknowledge that the Department of housing is not before us today but I seek a comment on this from the Department of the environment. The issue raised with me most commonly is that of grants for windows and doors. I asked the SEAI if there was a stand-alone grant available for people who do not qualify for the housing aid grant available from the Department of housing. I am interested in the Department's view on this because I am coming across a lot of people who are not 66 years old, who are living in homes where the windows are literally falling out but who have no way of replacing those windows. Is the Department looking at providing a grant for this? We were told a review is ongoing and we are still awaiting the results of that.

I want to go back to the issue of heat pumps, which others have mentioned already. When a heat pump is installed in a local authority house, should the house also be insulated and the windows and doors upgraded? In some cases, it seems that heat pumps are being installed without the full package of retrofit measures. Is that a waste of resources? I ask our guests to comment on that. I know of some local authority houses where the full package of measures is done but I have also had people come to me who had a heat pump installed but their windows and doors are not fit for purpose. Is that a waste of money?

It is unfortunate that we do not have the Department of housing before us today. I invite our guests to comment on the figures that have been provided on the Department's website for local authority houses.

In regard to the amount spent per unit, County Louth spends €6,105, whereas County Kildare spends €3,218 per unit. What controls and inspections are done by each Department to ensure taxpayers get the best bang for their buck and that the local authority tenant, in particular, gets a house that is fit for purpose? It seems to me there is a vast difference in the amount of money being spent per unit in those two local authorities. However, this is the issue regarding housing aid grants, windows and doors grants, as well as the fact that those aged under 66 in private homes cannot get a grant.

As has been mentioned, we were told the last day that the inspections for the warmer home scheme take place after 20 months and after ten months for other inspections with the SEAI. I asked this question the last day but has the Department any plans to improve that? How can we improve it? Even though it has come down from 26 months it is still an awfully long time for people to wait to improve the quality of their home.