Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Friends of the Earth report, which is still left out in the cold, is just the latest report we have, either from environmental or anti-poverty groups, that points out the grant system for retrofit is massively skewed in favour of the well-off and is of little, if any, use to low-income households, particularly those in the private rented sector, although similar things could be said about those in social housing. Private rented tenants have no say whatsoever over whether they get their house retrofitted and, therefore, are impacted by high-energy bills and, very often, cold conditions, with the obvious climate implications. Similarly, the roll-out of social housing retrofitting is absolutely glacial, with tiny numbers involved.

In reality, the grants are going to the wealthiest people. In fact, the ordinary taxpayer and low- and middle-income households are effectively subsidising the retrofitting of rich people's houses. Does the Taoiseach acknowledge that? Has he any intention to do anything about it?

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