Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)

There is a major issue with the retrofitting schemes that are in place. On the one hand, as the Climate Change Advisory Council states, the funding supports for heat pumps are not sufficient and this lock many people out of access to a heat pump. On the other hand, a heat pump is not a practical or feasible solution for many homes, in particular one-off rural homes. Very many people are locked out of access to a heat pump, but also locked out of low-emission and zero-emission alternatives, whatever they might be. The vast majority still have fossil fuels. There is potential for a significant improvement on what families are currently using, be it dirty solid fuels or kerosine. Will the Taoiseach consider reviewing the schemes to ensure that people can make progress?

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