Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In any scheme of this nature, finding the balance is always difficult. In a circumstance where, as we all will be aware, the construction sector fell off a cliff and, as I state repeatedly, 60% of those who lost their jobs were directly or indirectly attached to the construction sector, there is a responsibility across the whole of Government to see what can be done to improve the position and provide a direct stimulus. Of course, it needs to be said that this is not the only stimulus we are providing. The Minister made clear in his Budget Statement that the €0.5 billion of additional resources to stimulate the economy and get people back to work is a fundamental part of what this Finance Bill is about.

On the specific area, the scheme is targeted. Hopefully, we have got the correct balance, between, as Deputy Boyd Barrett stated, those who can afford to get such work done and those on the margins who might hold off. We are talking about a sum of €5,000. It is not a huge sum of money but, nonetheless, it would help a person make that decision in favour of availing of the scheme over a year or two to get works done in his or her house.

On the other point that Deputy Pearse Doherty raised on the repeal of the home improvement scheme, the view of the Government, as expressed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, is that the more targeted approach to help householders, certainly those on lower incomes, with house insulation and improving the thermal efficiency of their homes is through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. As the Deputy will be aware, a range of cash grants are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, for instance, the better energy home scheme. In addition, they operate the warmer home scheme under which work such as attic insulation can be carried out free of charge to qualifying individuals. The latter scheme is specific to those on lower incomes. The view is, rather than making one eligible for that through the tax code, it is more targeted to do it by way of specific cash grants to those on lower incomes to help them improve the insulation in their homes.

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