Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I would like to pick up that point with Friends of the Earth as it is a common recommendation. I am very interested in - and we discussed this at the committee previously - the middle piece, the energy transition. Retrofitting is a long-term goal, although not for everybody as some are getting there already, but it is going to be a while before we reach all housing stock. I am interested in what we can do in that medium term, that interim piece. On this idea of a community energy adviser, we have spoken before about a role for the CRU in this. We have spoken about the fact that most houses now have a smart meter installed but trying to get and then decipher the information from your smart meter and translating that to the energy plan that is going to sit best with you is very difficult. I think that information from the smart meters is wide open for the provision of energy credits to vulnerable customers. We absolutely have to move the responsibility. We know if somebody has a cancer diagnosis so why would we put the onus on those families to reach out as vulnerable customers, particularly if they are being provided palliative care at home? We know these people, so why would put a barrier in front of them and say, "You have to go and find this process?" The CRU has a huge role to play in this.

I want to let Friends of the Earth explore the idea of a community energy adviser, as I know it is in its still left out in the cold report. This could be hugely important and would not require a large number of people and it would be about linking people with their information to improve their lot right now, without any other interventions, and using the information we have available to help them live better, more comfortable lives in a way that is going to have benefits for the grid and in terms of emissions. There is nothing but wins here as far as I am concerned. I want give Friends of the Earth the opportunity to explore that in a bit more detail for us.