Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

As I said, a group is working on this issue and it is intended that it will come forward with recommendations. I am more than aware of the time constraints we face, and I will try to see if we can implement something fast for those who face challenges. However, I have not been given the proposals yet.

The fuel issue becomes much more critical during the cold winter months than it does just before summer, but I am aware of the challenge. For those us who have gone from house to house, a major problem is that of poor insulation, particularly in houses belonging to older people. Some houses are in poor condition, whether they are local authority houses or privately owned houses. The ultimate answer to this question is to look at the energy rating of these houses and at various schemes such as the warmer homes scheme. This goes back to whether we can activate people to do this work. Some very good work has been done in certain parts of the country through schemes that provide insulation. This cuts down on the amount of heating used and means that not only would the carbon levy not have any effect, but it also means a dramatic cut in the cost of heating by making the houses warmer.

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