Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. Will he bring the proposal back to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, who is responsible for it despite the fact that the Department says it is not responsible for it? When we read the Standing Orders governing Commencement matters, it proves that we should be getting a response on the issue from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I remind the House that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is a relevant body under the climate Act, so there is a responsibility there, and that it does not all fall to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications.

What the Minister of State has outlined from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications about retrofitting homes is all well and good, but he also referred to the split incentive for tenants, which depends on the landlord doing it. I would caution the Government on the tax breaks for landlords to ensure that the qualifying works are not the same as the list used to evict tenants and break the rent freeze. We must also be very careful that we are not creating a loophole so that if landlords retrofit, and it is under the qualifying list of works, they will be able to increase the rent beyond the rent cap and avoid the eviction ban when the moratorium on evictions is lifted. I urge the Minister of State to report the caution that I have raised with the Minister. I welcome the new energy poverty strategy. It is worth noting that it lapsed in 2019.