Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A recent survey by Aviva showed that four out of ten householders say the grants available are insufficient to encourage them to upgrade their homes. We talk about solar energy and solar panels, for which grants of €2,400 are available, but to do it properly we are talking about between €7,000 and €9,000.

Where is the strategy on energy poverty since 2019? I do not know if the Minister remembers this, but a number of months ago he talked about retrofitting and the plans in that regard. As far as I know, there are roughly 172,000 social houses in the State. I think 36,000 of those are at an energy efficiency level that is adequate or better. Some 36,000, I think, are earmarked to be retrofitted between now and 2030. That leaves 100,000 homes of some of the most vulnerable and poorest people in the State with no retrofitting until at least 2030. I do not doubt the Minister's sincerity, but how could that be right?

My party colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, is trying to bring forward solutions and make a difference. Why is the Government and, in particular, the Minister, a person who cares about the environment and should care about the most vulnerable, not backing what we are trying to do? I have an example in Fair Hill, in Cork, where two houses were to get retrofitting, including wraparound insulation, windows - the whole lot. One family could get it done with the grant because they had the resources to pay for the rest themselves. The other family, two pensioners living on a fixed income, could not get it done. The people who needed it the most were the two pensioners but they were the people who could not get it done, and that is under the Minister's watch. He needs to be strong, he needs to be a leader and he needs to listen to others when we try to be positive and supportive.

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