Dáil debates

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Home Heating Fuels: Motion [Private Members]

 

6:45 pm

Photo of Brian StanleyBrian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion. The Government's proposed ban is the wrong measure at the worst time. We must introduce climate action measures that are workable, affordable and bring communities with us rather than alienating and punishing people. This is not a just transition. This measure will affect the entire country but it will hit Laois-Offaly hardest. More than a quarter of people in the constituency have no alternative to solid fuel, which in many cases is turf. They cannot afford retrofits to their home because they would have to put up €30,000 for it. Even if they could, there is a waiting list of over two years for that scheme, and the Minister and I know that will only continue to grow.

The number of people cutting turf continues to reduce. I used to cut turf and my previous house depended solely on turf as a fuel. I do not depend on it for fuel in my current house but many people still live in houses that do. In my previous house, the cooking, central heating and heating of domestic water was done using turf as a fuel. There was no other way of doing it.

The numbers of people cutting turf are reducing and that should happen in conjunction with the provision of practical and affordable alternatives. New homes being built are not dependent on solid fuel and homes in the midlands are being retrofitted but the process is slow and will take time. The Minister knows the reasons, which include labour, money, etc.

The problem right now is that families are being prohibited from using the only source of fuel they have and the Government's proposed ban, which apparently will not apply to communities with fewer than 500 people, is not practical. For example, there is no piped gas in many towns across Laois-Offaly, including Mountrath and Mountmellick. What should people do there? I could name 30 other towns in the same position but I do not have the time. What are the people in those towns supposed to do?

The Green Party continues to conflate, possibly deliberately, the smoky coal ban and turf. We are seeing briquettes with a high carbon footprint being transported from eastern Europe with much more environmental damage caused while we ban very limited local turf cutting. This turf-cutting ban will harm ordinary families with no alternative. We are calling for this ban to be scrapped. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform should halt the planned increase in carbon tax planned for this Sunday. He should also remove excise duty from home heating oil.

There are people who pretend to stand up for rural Ireland who may be critical of our proposal but yet again they have failed to bring any proposal of their own to the floor of the Dáil. They stand for everything and nothing, except their own self-interest. We are making a proposal to give people the space to have a just transition and ensure rural communities can be protected.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.