Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communication, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has the role of reducing energy poverty by implementing measures to improve the energy efficiency of Irish homes. In 2016, the Government launched a comprehensive strategy to combat energy poverty following extensive publication. Deputy Naughten is very familiar with this as a former Minister who was involved in it. The strategy was spearheaded by the then Minister with responsibility for the environment. The strategy sets out the Government commitment to protecting vulnerable households from energy poverty through a combination of supports, investment in schemes to improve energy efficiency, and energy efficiency awareness initiatives. The Deputy is absolutely right that the best long-term approach is to make sure homes are warmer. We need to invest in energy efficiency. The Government is committed to supporting households with their energy costs through energy efficiency measures, with a total retrofit budget in excess of €280 million. The Deputy raised the issue of the delays. I expect that Covid has made the situation somewhat worse. This does not mean we should not be addressing it. I will raise the matter with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, directly.

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