Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State very much. I must say that this scheme is very important and has been very successful. Dublin City Council has done a marvellous job in bringing it forward. More funding is obviously needed to enhance the scheme. I was glad to hear the Minister of State say that we will get a second visit. This has been a terrible bone of contention for many people, some of whom are very old people on pensions and some of whom are living in terrible conditions. I have been repeatedly refused - I do not know how many times - and it is very frustrating. I am glad this change is being made and I am waiting to see what that entails when the forms come out. I am not sure whether it will be linked to any sort of time or anything like that. I would not like to think we would link it and make it difficult for people. I hope we will revisit people who had works carried out less than ten years ago as well. That is very important.

It is a fact that where Dublin City Council has done many of the wraparounds, small private dwellings in between have been left behind. I would like to see better co-ordination between the SEAI and the local authority that is doing these wraparounds. I have seen now in different areas where two or three houses have had a wraparound and one house beside them has been left behind because it was bought off the council or is a private dwelling. That is something on which we need to see better co-ordination.

Many senior citizens will be glad to hear the Minister of State say we will get a revisit. I certainly look forward to talking to a few of them and assuring them that this will be done. This has huge impacts on the environment and also on the finances of ordinary people. It has massive benefits. I thank the Minister of State for taking this issue.

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