Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Taking the issue of retrofitting, section 42(1) of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 states:

A public body shall, in the performance of its functions, have regard to the need to— (a) eliminate discrimination,

(b) promote equality of opportunity...

I could go on but what we are doing with the retrofitting programme is meeting the requirement in that section. I cite the fact, and this is from memory, that of the €270-odd million in funding the Government has committed next year to retrofitting is a budget commitment to this area that is huge and beyond compare. Some €70 million or so is going to be in social housing, targeting the homes of those who are typically, but not always, on lower incomes. Similarly, the warmer homes scheme is one which, as the Deputy said, is specifically targeted at those in receipt of fuel allowance, where there is 100% support for it. I think it accounts for more than €100 million of that overall budget so in our framing and design of this, it is very much designed to target social justice improvements as well as environmental and building quality improvements.

The Deputy is right that the system did suffer somewhat due to Covid-19 but we are continuing the work right through level 5 because it counts as essential construction work. I asked my officials about this the other day and they informed me it is proceeding and is not being delayed by Covid. It is subject to every on-site assessment but there is not a restriction on that work at the moment.

See this speech in context