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

The Minister's response reflects the current position. With regard to the targets for heat pump installations - 45,000 existing and 170,000 new dwellings by 2025, and up to 400,000 existing and 280,000 new dwellings by 2030 - it has to be said that the Government is missing a lot of targets. It is missing this target by an absolute mile. Just 9,469 heat pumps have been installed since 2020. This is nowhere near what is needed. The difficulty is with the cost but also with regard to whether houses are appropriate for it. What solution does the Minister have for those people who have been burdened with carbon tax, who are maybe burning solid fuels or oil, and who want to move to a more sustainable, climate-friendly solution? The only show in town according to this Government is the heat pump, and it is simply not an option for very many people. Even with the heat loss indicator study, it still will not be an option for many of them. It is a real problem.

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