Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

Yes. I am sorry I was not here for the beginning of the meeting but there were other things I had to attend to. It is good to have the witnesses here today. I thank the Chairman for allowing me to talk because I am not a member of the committee.

It has been brought to my attention by a respiratory consultant who is concerned. In the quest to reduce emissions and for construction to get the highest BER, it involves fitting heat pumps to houses. Are the witnesses aware of any health problems created, or developing, because of these heat pumps? Obviously, there is no chimney and no fresh air coming in. The same air is being circulated around all the time. This is what I am told. I have been told that one of the leading hospitals here in Dublin has never had more patients presenting with respiratory problems in relation to this. I had heard it before but this has come from someone eminent. I will not name the person now. How much has this been tried out in the construction sector to see? We always knew from common sense that the chimney was a vital part of the house. It took out the foul air and it draughted in the fresh air.

That no longer happens now with houses sealed up to the extent they currently are. We all strive to keep warm, but to the extent that many houses that are fitted out this way, they are now very warm. People practically do not have to wear many clothes at all. There was nothing wrong with pulling on a jumper before if you were not feeling as nice as you wanted to be. Are there any indications that there are problems with circulation pumps and keeping the houses so airtight?