Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghlacadh leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle as ucht deis a thabhairt dom cúpla focal a rá ar an gceist seo. Is í fadhb an bochtanais breosla ceann de na fadhbanna is mó lena bhfuil mé ag plé mar Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí. Is ceist an-chasta í, ar ndóigh, os rud é go gcaitheann go leor daoine go leor airgid ar teas ach go dtéann an teas sin amú orthu. Creidim go bhfuil fíor-thábhacht ag baint le déanamh cinnte de go bhfuil tithe te teolaí ag daoine - a tithe féin nó tithe atá ar cíos acu. Cé go bhfuil go leor oibre ar bun faoin warmer homes scheme, creidim go bhfuil sé thar a bheith tábhachtach dlús a chur leis an obair sin, go mórmhór trí na scéimeanna fostaíochta atá faoi chúram mo Roinne. Tá sé i gceist agam díriú isteach ar an obair sin. Chuige sin, bhí cruinniú agam le gairid leis an Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, féachaint an féidir tuilleadh oibre a dhéanamh maidir le tithe nach bhfuil clúdaithe ag an warmer homes scheme.

While I am pleased to have an opportunity to say a few words on fuel poverty, I will not be able to do justice to the issue in the five minutes available to me. I will briefly discuss a number of issues of concern to me. If we want people to be warm in their homes, it is vital that we tackle the issue of energy efficiency. I recently had a meeting with officials from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to discuss using increased numbers of scheme places to do extra work on the warmer home schemes through voluntary bodies. The schemes are operating very successfully in some areas, while in others the SEAI has private companies doing the work, which is also fine. In other places, however, adequately trained people are not available to do the work required under the scheme.

I also discussed with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland the need to continue to increase the quality and sophistication of the work. While this work is being done correctly, it is reasonably basic.

See this speech in context