Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As my colleague just stated, it is always welcome when there is any scheme put into place that will improve the situation for people out there. It is very welcome that there is a scheme. It is making an effort. All of us recognise, however, that when we have a scheme such as this, there is an opportunity to try to get the most in need dealt with first. This is the criticism all of us have of this scheme. We are not here to be critical, we are here to be constructive. This is a missed opportunity on the part of the Government to try to reach those people most in need, who have the most hardship, and who have the most difficulty in that regard. It could have been done in the way that many other grant schemes are done such as grant schemes for older people that are run through the local authorities. This is where one gets a larger grant if one is on a lower income, and as the income bracket goes up then the level of the grant would fall. It would make sense to most people. This is what should have and what could have been done. That is one of the big issues with the scheme.

A number of people have also come to me on another issue, and perhaps the Minister would clarify this at some point. It concerns those people who have homes that they may have inherited. I know one man who inherited an old house from his uncle ten or 15 years ago. Nobody has lived in it in years. It is sitting there, out in a rural area and he wants to know will this grant will work for him or will it not, or will he have to wait for some other grant to come later.

Of course it is not good to be getting people into debt in these circumstances, but a new loan scheme is proposed - it will hopefully involve low-interest loans - for people to avail of. We have the grant coming now and then the loan later on. Many people will have to wait to see if they will be able to apply for or even qualify for loans. People already have mortgages, car loans and other commitments. One of the things that seems to be missing in all of this is an understanding that the people who need this most are those who are already under pressure and who find that the cost-of-living crisis is biting hard. To say to them that they would have to go out and borrow another €25,000 or more just does not work. They will say that they just cannot afford to do that. They are not in a position to do it.

I raised with the Minister earlier the case of a man who has cancer and who cannot afford to get health insurance. He said to me that he would get health insurance after he had paid off his mortgage, which will be in another ten or 12 years. That was when he could afford to do so but, unfortunately, cancer got to him sooner. It is the same with people who need to get their homes retrofitted. They would love to get their homes retrofitted but cannot afford to do it. They cannot afford to take more loans until their mortgages are paid. These are the people that the scheme could have targeted much better.

There is always time to make adjustments and changes. I encourage the Minister to take on the criticism, if he wants to call it that, or the constructive message that the Opposition is giving to him to the effect that there is an opportunity to make changes. As the Minister moves forward to finalise the scheme, there is an opportunity to put measures in place that will target those who are most in need.

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