Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Senator is right. We dealt with this amendment in the other House on both Committee and Report Stages. His colleague, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, withdrew it for the straightforward simple reason that being this prescriptive about energy efficiency in terms of improvements in insulation was not a matter to be considered in primary legislation. As technology changes, we can see the changes being approved for the programme on energy efficiency. Therefore, to hardwire something like this in primary legislation would constrain us. I regret that I cannot accept the amendment and my reasons and arguments have not changed since the debate in the other House. As I said, it would tie the hands of the Minister unreasonably. As technology is changing all the time and the nature and scope of the scheme will change, about which there is no doubt, I would prefer not to be stuck with something so prescriptive in primary legislation.