Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Senator Conway raised the future of Moneypoint power plant and the thousands of jobs that will be lost. The Joint Committee on Climate Action has discussed at length the issue of a just and fair transition. I echo Senator Conway's call for the trade union, the ESB, the Government and the workers to work this out. As we move to a greener economy, this could become a template that would be on the side of the workers and communities affected in future, including in Bord na Móna.

Homeoptions is a new company which has been set up using what is known as the mortgage to rent to repurchase model. The company was only launched today but it appears to offer an alternative to the vulture funds and banks to which we have paid needless billions of euro. People are still being thrown out of their homes and evicted. The Homeoptions concept comes on the back of the Right2Water movement and will be in the same market to purchase as the vulture funds. It will, however, give homeowners or tenants, as they will become in some instances, a right to rent and repurchase their homes. I ask that the Minister encourage this kind of community banking and togetherness which prevents people from ending up on the streets as victims of the hedge funds, bankers and vulture funds.