Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

While the plan to retrofit more homes is welcome, we have been in this position previously. The Government, of course, has prioritised the ability to pay over need, which means that those who need it most will get it last or not get it at all. Sinn Féin in government would have grants based on income and people's ability to pay. We would introduce a dedicated scheme for households with children living in energy poverty. Under the Government's plan, people who have a spare €25,000 lying around will be able to get up to €25,000 in grants. These grants will be funded by ever-increasing carbon taxes. Basically, ordinary workers and families who have been hit the most by the increase in the cost of living will be paying to retrofit the homes of those lucky enough to be able to put up the initial €25,000. The Government's solution for ordinary working families is for these families to go even more into debt. On Leaders' Questions today, my colleague, Deputy Doherty, offered the Minister a solution, which the Minister ignored in his response.

At a time when home heating has increased in price by 50%, gas by over 20% and ordinary workers and families are being crucified daily at the petrol pumps, the Government is going to increase these prices by introducing an increase in the carbon tax. We have implored it not to do this. The €32 million that it expects to raise with the carbon tax could be raised in different ways. For example, as Deputy Doherty outlined, the Government cut the bankers' levy this year at a cost of €63 million. That was a political choice. The Minister said we are running out of time with regard to climate change. I agree that we must act, but we must act in a fair and just way. I put it to the Minister that the Government is running out of time and out of ideas, and measures such as this show how out of touch it is.

Sinn Féin would target those who are most in need earliest, including those in social housing. Current energy saving criteria and measures for public homes have to be examined. I will discuss an issue in my area. I have been contacted by numerous residents from a public private partnership development in the area. The development is beautiful, shiny and new and one can see solar panels on the roofs of the homes. The residents who contacted me have disclosed that the solar panels are connected to a converter but no batteries for the converters have been provided. In real terms, this means no energy is being stored. As the energy is not stored it is therefore wasted. The system also provides for instant hot water when the residents run their hot taps, but because no energy is stored the water from the hot taps is automatically heated by gas. As we know, gas prices are going through the roof, so this is resulting in even higher than normal gas bills. We now have the bizarre situation in my area where an energy saving scheme is actually using more energy and hitting the residents hard in their pockets. Residents have reported to me that they feel the solar panels have been placed just for show and in order that the development can achieve its BER rating.

There is public housing in the Foxdene and Balgaddy areas in my constituency. The architectural plans for Foxdene Avenue, Méile An Rí, Tór An Rí and Buirg An Rí in Balgaddy won major awards, but the plans did not match the reality on the ground. Four years after a damning European ruling on the state of the local authority housing in Balgaddy, little progress has been made on improving conditions. Ireland has been found to be in breach of human rights by the European Committee on Social Rights because of the development in Balgaddy. The estate is just 15 years old, but residents contact me daily about damp, mould, leaks and rotten windows. I first became a public representative in 2016 and there has been no let-up in telephone calls from the residents, who are absolutely desperate. The council has tried to carry out some works in the area, but it is done in a piecemeal way as its budget allows.

The Minister talks about a national retrofit plan, but the people in Balgaddy feel they have been left behind again. The basic environment a person has is his or her home. A home is one of the basic needs we have as humans. If the Minister wants to make environmental changes to homes, I suggest he start with housing schemes such as Balgaddy where people are living in substandard homes. These are substandard homes that have been provided by the local authority on behalf of the Government, so the Minister owes the people an explanation and a chance to get them fixed.

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