Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Taoiseach mentioned the issue of energy because, this winter, increased electricity and heating costs will hit every single family hard. Working families will not only have to meet their own additional costs but they will also have to pay for the increases associated with the fuel allowance scheme. Despite this, the value of the retrofitting grant has decreased from one third of the cost to just over one quarter due to the rising cost of materials. There is genuine concern that the value of the grant will continue to diminish. For the invisible middle, grants are of little use when the families do not have the €18,000 to €20,000 to put with them to reduce their heating bills, improve their health, increase the comfort of their homes and help our climate. Over the next decade, the Government is asking these families to pay an extra €100,000 to deliver on its climate action plan, yet they are being pushed further and further away from the financial supports needed to make this happen.

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