Ms Annemarie Harte:

Before we move on from the home renovation scheme, it is important to consider the situation of apartment owners, who have essentially emerged as a separate breed of home owners in the past ten years. Apartment owners are limited in the amount of renovation they can do because they do not have a driveway, a roof or the facility to build an extension. I speak from personal experience in saying that it is almost impossible to reach the threshold of €4,500 or €5,000. Even though I might have the money and be willing to spend it, it will not happen in the next 12 months because I do not have enough scope to implement substantial renovations in an apartment.

Regarding sustainable energy or green products, it is important to note that the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland offers grants in this regard. It would not really be feasible to offer consumers a double whammy of tax credits or grants under two different schemes.