Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The vast majority of people do not underestimate the urgency and the necessity to address climate change. Protecting the earth for future generations is not just something we choose to do; it is something we are obligated to do as responsible citizens.

The concept of the national retrofitting scheme is smart and ambitious. The positive impact of a reduction in emissions if up to 70,000 households were to avail of the retrofitting scheme between now and 2030 would be something Ireland could be justifiably proud of on the world's climate stage. The potential for this scheme is enormous in many ways. It is, however, a double-edge sword in crucial areas, and we have to be realistic about it. The scheme has a vision to bring about great benefits on one side but its capacity to deliver is stymied by major obstacles that will prove difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.

One significant obstacle is that availing of this much-needed cost-saving opportunity may not be a possibility for many families. The initial outlay would push their household budget to its limit. For many, that limit is already stretched. It is a time of financial struggle and a time of trepidation and fear about family budgets. The message I am getting from Tipperary households is that very few have surplus money. While they need and want to retrofit their home, the chances of that actually happening are slim. It is highly unlikely they will be able to afford 50% of the cost of carrying out this work, even though they are acutely aware of the long-term benefits of it. Lending institutions will not entertain them, and low-interest loans at 3.5% from the Government still involve regular repayments, a commitment many cannot undertake. The promise of future energy savings will not feed a family in the intervening weeks and months.

Another major issue of concern is the serious shortage of skilled workers in Tipperary and across the country. Thousands of skilled workers of all ages left Ireland during the recession. Some have returned but a large majority have settled in other countries and may never return within their working lives. A retrofitting scheme with a duration of eight years will not entice those workers to uproot again to come back to Ireland. We have lost those invaluable skills as other countries scrambled to employ our carpenters, electricians, scaffolders and plumbers. At present it is impossible to engage skilled trades.

There is also the unprecedented need to provide housing at this time. That task requires many of the same skill sets retrofitting projects do. How will the shortage of skilled workers be met to carry out all this work? This is a glaring obstacle. The skilled workers are simply not available, and no number of ambitious plans for building or retrofitting can change that fact. During the boom times in Ireland it was possible to build 90,000 houses in one year. Irish and overseas tradesmen and workers made that possible. If we were to attract tradesmen and workers from outside of Ireland, how would we accommodate them when people already living here cannot find or afford accommodation? What realistic incentives could we offer them outside of work?

The scheme, if a sufficient number of tradespeople were found to work on it, would be a godsend to apprentices across the country. It has proven increasingly impossible for apprentices to get placements with the trades to undertake the on-the-job training that forms part of their qualifications. This scheme could encourage more to enrol for apprenticeships, resulting in a win-win situation for both the present and the future of trades in Ireland.

Overall, the concept of the retrofitting scheme is good, but important obstacles need to be thought through and overcome before it is fully fit for purpose.

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