Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank those who have contributed to this debate. It is notable that neither Fianna Fáil nor Fine Gael could present a speaker. Maybe they do not see the same problems that we do. Maybe they do not represent the same constituents that we do, namely, those who are struggling to access these schemes and to heat their homes this winter.

I have to say in response to the Government contribution that we are setting out a clear challenge to the Government. We have identified weaknesses in the schemes, as the Minister heard from a number on the Opposition benches. We need the Government to increase funding. We need to reorient the schemes to ensure they are targeted to those in need, those on low and middle incomes and those in local authority houses. The schemes need to be targeted based on need. There are far too many excluded from the schemes based on waiting lists, on strict eligibility criteria or on the inability to pay, given that they do not have the upfront funding to access the necessary grants. I have not heard enough in response from the Government to be confident it is hearing exactly what has been said here, or that it is going to respond to address the barriers and the lack of flexibility. There is a need to address the roll-out and the speed of lower-cost or shallower retrofits.

I am very concerned by what I hear. The Minister of State gave a lot of information and figures benchmarked against last year, which was in the middle of Covid. It is no great achievement to do better than last year and to have that as a starting point. My understanding is that the overall target is 27,900. The Minister of State indicated that this is now at 13,400, but that just 4,200 of those are to B2 or B2 equivalent. That is a very low number and is of real concern. In that regard, I wonder is that the same as last year. Are many of those B2 or B2 equivalents the result of a move from C1 by just putting solar panels on the roof, and that is another one off the list? That is not the type of progress we need to see.

We need targeted investment towards people who are going to struggle to heat their homes, who are living in cold homes, who are poor. They need to be prioritised, not Deputies, Senators, wealthy people or people who have a spare €25,000. We will get to them but they are not literally at the coal face this winter. The schemes need to be reoriented and they need to be prioritised. Workers are busy retrofitting the homes of wealthy people. We need to take that resource, because we do not have enough of those workers and contractors, and we need to put them where they are needed and, in the first instance, to address the long waiting lists and to expand those schemes. Our approach is one that is efficient and effective. It is about identifying the needs with the SEAI and local authorities and then working through blocks of houses in groups.

The Government is not opposing the motion. I would rather that it took our motion and ran with it, reformed the schemes and delivered for people in need.

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