Mr. Michael Manley:

There are a couple of issues. The support schemes offered by the SEAI and funded by the Department no longer support fossil fuel central heating systems. More important, Part L of the building regulations effectively requires buildings to be brought up to a BER rating of A3, which is a high level of energy efficiency. Some developers are developing a combination of solar panels and gas. The buildings are so efficient that the energy use is minuscule. I ask the Deputy to bear with me because I take his point on why we do not go to the next step and it is a fair question. The revisions of Part L will require new buildings to be upgraded to a BER rating of A2, at which stage the current level of heat pump installation, which is high, will automatically step into that space.