Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

Carbon dioxide emissions are a serious problem, caused by the energy we use through our dependence on cars, home heating, aircraft, manufacturing, animals etc. The taxpayer will foot the bill if we do nothing about our emissions. I noted the spat between the Minister and Deputy Boyle about Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's initiative which I understood would, or would try to, operate tighter regulations than the national standards. Any builder who gets permission for more than ten houses must achieve a 40% increase in energy efficiency, a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions, and provide 20% of water heating from a renewable source. That is a commendable way for any council to go, if that is the way it is going. Other councils should take a leaf out of its book. This is the way forward.

Anybody building a house for re-sale should have to meet this type of standard too, otherwise there is a temptation to cut corners and insulation and heat retention values would suffer most in a commercially built house. There is a company in Doohamlet in County Monaghan which won a prestigious award at the Plan Expo 2005. It has produced a system which can be installed in any house, old or new, and will heat water from a renewable source. It heats all domestic water from heat usage in the house, including body heat, collecting it at the highest point in the house and converting it to heated water. It is more efficient and cheaper than solar panels, costing only €3,500 to install as opposed to €8,000 for solar panels, and there are no construction costs involved. Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, sees the benefit of the system but does not recognise its value and will not give it grant aid as it will solar panels or several other similar efforts, which is a pity because that type of enterprise should be encouraged.

We should also consider the development of the passive house, a term which has not entered our vocabulary yet. Such houses exist in Germany where they are insulated to such a degree that they require very little heat, costing maybe €2 per week. That comes from insulation and the re-use of heat within the house. We should examine this type of system.

There is also a solar roof tile system. We must use natural resources in a way that does not contribute to our carbon emissions problem. We have a very high dependence on gas, petrol and so on but there are ways to reduce that. We do not make enough use of the wind power available at sea. There are also geothermal systems that would help to reduce our emissions. County councils have an obligation to lead the way, for example, by using geothermal heating in groups of ten houses. They should try not just to meet standards but to surpass them, using the standard as a minimum not a maximum.

I have a problem with the concept of grant-aiding burning devices for houses, such as pellet burners. Part of the grant should be given to ensure that people insulate their houses fully. There is no point creating cheap heat in a house if we let it fly out the roof. We do not make enough use of insulation grants. These existed in the past and I ask the Minister to consider grants for insulating homes because they can provide excellent value for money. County councils should use new housing systems and ways to reduce emissions.

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