Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their interesting presentations. Looking at a few points highlighted by Friends of the Earth and other groups, in terms of the national retrofitting plans and the scheme, under which it is planned to upgrade 500,000 homes to a B2 energy rating, I understand that the plan is that only 36,500 of these homes, or less than 10% of them, would be local authority-owned homes. The presentations from Social Justice Ireland and Friends of the Earth indicated we need to shift that target and that the balance needs to be shifted more towards local authority-owned homes because they seem to form a very small part of the plan.

Again, while you are creating an incentive in the market relating to some, those are presumably homes where the State could be acting far more quickly and far more effectively. Would that really help in terms of front-loading the addressing of the energy poverty piece?

In respect of the rental sector, we have heard questions about how we incentivise. How do we press landlords on this issue? I know Friends of the Earth have mentioned a minimum BER. That could be combined with protection against eviction. How can we look to protection for Part 4 tenants combined with a requirement that anything coming to market or being upgraded has a minimum BER? Could the witnesses comment on those issues?

In terms of people on prepay meters, what percentage of them are in rental accommodation? They do not have the ability to control the energy rating of the environment in which they live. Is there much of an overlap between those relying on prepay meters and those in private rental accommodation?

I welcome the comments about jet kerosene, which is the very large elephant in the room. This brings us back to the idea of levies and who is paying and contributing. There is a solidarity contribution coming down the tracks. This committee heard from Ms Sikow-Magny from the Commission that it should be targeting SMEs and vulnerable households - those who are suffering most at the moment. How should that be targeted, given that it is a solidarity contribution rather than a general revenue measure and is meant to be targeted in an effective way?

A comment was made in two different presentations about the need for more engagement on community energy advisers and more engagement with civil society by the SEAI and the energy poverty steering group. Has there been much engagement with the witnesses' organisations in respect of this windfall tax, the decisions Ireland has made around the transposition of that tax and how that money should distributed effectively to target the most vulnerable?