Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As I have said before, I find it funny that Senator Butler is commending the Government in any motion at this stage considering the mess it has made of everything. None the less, I believe the Senator's heart is in the right place. He has worked for a long time on this scheme. I would have asked the same questions last week that I am going to ask now when, to tremendous applause, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan, was on the six o'clock news on Sunday evening, with the guys running in behind him with the radiators. It looked as if the whole system was in place, but unfortunately that is not the case and it took three days before anything appeared on the website of Sustainable Energy Ireland, which I believe is the organisation that will look after the scheme.

The first question on people's lips is about reducing their energy bills and they welcomed this grant. I acknowledge that the Green Party has come up with a positive initiative but Fine Gael has been highlighting the problem for a long time. I was at a loss to advise people how they could apply because information is not yet available on the scheme. People will have to find the money to pay for the improvements and claim the grant retrospectively but there is little surplus cash available for people to extend themselves in this manner. I hope the delays experienced thus far in regard to funding will not become an issue.

I have been shouting loudly at Westmeath County Council for disabled persons grants, essential repairs grants and heating for the elderly grants. I am aware of one elderly man who has been waiting two years for a grant. Even though it is now the middle of February, the county council has not yet prepared its budget for 2009, let alone decide how it will fund essential repairs and other grants.

This "la-di-da" scheme is worthwhile but, like everything else introduced by this Government, it is not backed up by common sense. It is not a radical idea because it is logical that we should strive to reduce our carbon footprint and help people to save money while keeping warm. As spokesperson for social and family affairs, I am acutely aware of the number of elderly people who are experiencing fuel poverty and who must decide between buying bread and butter or a bale of briquets. Does the Minister know the price of a bale of briquets? It costs a lot of money. We should provide people who fall into poverty traps with ways to insulate their houses.

Was the television advertisement involving the Minister, clean hard hats and spotless vests a set-up or did it reflect reality? How much funding will be made available and when will it be distributed? The SEI states it will proceed with the scheme when it recruits an adequate complement of contractors but there are any number of contractors available at present.

While I agree this initiative is important and long overdue, the Government has a nerve to be commending itself in this day and age. Given that Fine Gael and Senator O'Toole have long been raising this issue, it is cheeky to claim credit at this late stage. The initiative by no means represents radical thinking.