Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support what Deputy Michael Moynihan has said. I encourage the Minister of State to relay back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, that he should contact the regulator in this regard. An increase from €1.80 to €3 does not sound significant, but to a plumber who might be doing 50 jobs a week, which is a conservative estimate and many plumbers could possibly be doing up to 100, it is a significant cost. The plumber will either have to bear the cost himself or pass it on to the consumer. Given the climate we are in, Government policy is about encouraging people to have their houses retrofitted and improving the building energy rating, BER, of their homes, getting boilers fixed is a positive step. While the carbon tax we are introducing it is unpalatable for many, much of take from that tax will be accrued and directed specifically at those types of projects, which is to be welcomed. However, this levy on plumbers, insignificant as it may seem to some, further compounds the increase in carbon tax. In that respect it runs contrary to what Government policy is trying to achieve and moves people towards the unregistered installers that we are trying to prevent.

RGI Ireland takes in €1 million a year in membership costs alone from all the plumbers in the country and approximately €600,000 from the certification process. There is a role for Government, whether through a public service obligation or some other route, whereby it should be possible to fund this shortfall.

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