Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power, to the House. I also welcome this sensible cost-effective creative scheme, which nobody in this House should oppose. Beyond that, this motion is a waste of time. As Senator O'Toole mentioned, we have been talking about this for a long time. Indeed, we have probably debated this matter to death, not just in this House but in the other House as well. While I am pleased to see the introduction of the home energy saving scheme, the country might be better served if we debated issues of greater importance today. Earlier I was interrupted in mid-flow by the guillotining of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008. Then we did not have enough time to speak about the crisis in the Middle East, in Gaza, where today the bombing by Israeli aeroplanes has recommenced. Instead we must debate something that, as I stated, we have debated on numerous occasions in the past.

The Labour Party has been calling for a scheme such as this for many years and we are happy to see it introduced. In November last, at my party's annual conference in Kilkenny, I called for the introduction of a similar scheme. I referred to the scheme being introduced in the UK to take people off the unemployment list and to reduce greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions. Until now we in Ireland were more or less sitting on our hands. We could have done much more. I am glad to see the introduction of this measure at last. It is good to see initiatives like this being rolled out in an effort to address not only CO2 emissions but unemployment.

I note the Minister of State stated that "energy policy, above any other, should be a model for cross-party consensus". I stated on many occasions in this House that the Labour Party will not challenge or obstruct sensible solutions to national problems and I reaffirm that commitment. Certainly we will not stand in the way of this policy because we believe it will work.

I note the Minister of State expects the scheme to produce 4,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, and that must be welcomed. We need to see the introduction of more schemes like this.

In July last year, Sustainable Energy Ireland released a report stating that the average Irish household consumes 27% more energy than the average UK household, and 31% more than the average European Union household. The report found that household fuel use decreased by less than 0.5% from 1995 to 2006 while at the same time the average electricity use per person increased by an enormous 62%. A national insulation drive is a first step in addressing the household energy crisis we are facing and other follow-on initiatives will be necessary to ensure we tackle the issue of energy.

It makes sense to seal in the energy escaping from our houses but it is disappointing that the scheme does not extend to renewal and replacement of windows, particularly single glazed windows. Even in an optimally insulated home heat will continue to escape through the windows and cracks that appear, and this scheme sets out no specific provision to address that.

Recently the urban institute in University College Dublin exhibited a sensory detection programme which it developed. It uses a specialised thermal-imaging camera to conduct an audit of the built environment. One can go around a room with the camera to identify exactly where heat is escaping. It is a useful tool to allow us to rectify the position and put remedial measures in place. Its findings show consistently that one of the main causes of heat escape is through windows, mostly single glazed windows. The Minister must make home insulation schemes the first port of call in a journey towards preventing the escape of energy from homes.

On the subject of investing in research, this is exactly the kind of initiative that should be developed by the innovation community. In five years' time the Government will have spent approximately €1 billion in promoting research in Ireland and it is essential that projects that will facilitate sustainable policies for national recovery are supported. The urban institute at University College Dublin and the environmental research institute at University College Cork are national centres of excellence in this field and it is important that policy is influenced by the research going on there. I note the Minister of State mentioned the issue of smart meters. I agree this could help to reduce energy use by people and I welcome their introduction by the energy companies.

I ask the Minister to use his offices to highlight that measures such as the new smart meters and allowing people to pay their bills on-line lead to a reduction in the costs of operation for these electricity companies, yet they do not seem to be passing these savings on to customers. I ask him to use his offices to call on the electricity companies to pass on these savings. In the UK, for instance, some of the energy companies, as a result of electronic billing, managed to pass on savings of up to 10% to their customers and I would encourage electricity companies to do the same here.

Until now it could have been argued that there was a lack of synergy when it came to making policy in this country. Successive Governments have invested enormous sums in research and it is important to ensure that any research developed is put into practice so that we have practical solutions that can be used. Tackling these problems presents an opportunity to get all sectors of society moving together in search of solutions. Tax breaks and start-up grants should be increased and fast-tracked in the direction of entrepreneurs and inventors working in this field.

Recently it was announced that the market for solar collectors has increased by 300% in the ten years to 2008 and it has reached approximately €1 billion. The next company such as Google or Nokia is most likely to be in this renewable and sustainable energy sector. That company may not necessarily come from Helsinki or Silicon Valley, it could quite easily come from some part of Ireland. We have the education and we have the drive. For instance, last month a company in Mayo created 20 jobs by developing a hyper-efficient solar-panel collector system. We have the technology and we have the commitment to do that.

There is no reason Ireland cannot benefit from the coming green revolution, but to do so we need to invest at grassroots and to encourage and develop this kind of industry through tax breaks. Amidst all the doom and gloom, it is not a sin to be hopeful about the future. These are the opportunities that may see us through these bad times.