Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I am disappointed to hear of the narrowing of the Warmer Homes scheme. Anyone with an inefficient house and a low income should be assisted.

In 2010, the budget allocation for the three energy schemes was €94 million and €93 million was actually spent. In 2011, after the jobs initiative budget, the allocation was €99 million. The Minister has cut that to €64.6 million. In 2011, he said he would create or sustain 5,800 jobs, that is, 2,000 jobs in addition to the 3,800. He now says that will be reduced to 4,000 jobs. This amounts to a loss of 1,800 jobs.

Why is the Government reducing the commitment to investing in something that would give a significant long-term return to the economy, as well as making houses comfortable for humans to live in, by reducing a requirement to import very expensive hydrocarbon fuels? The Government seems not to have carried forward the money taken from pensioners last year in the pension levy which was meant to go into these schemes. Why did the Government decide to reduce the commitment to these schemes, particularly having robbed the pensioners of Ireland to invest extra money into these schemes?

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