Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Senator is correct to raise this matter. How will we upgrade stone or thatched cottages, particularly when lived in by people who are in energy poverty, cannot afford to move home and need the upgrades more than anyone else?

She mentioned how difficult it was to reach the B2 standard, but it is possible to get grants that do not require people to do so. For example, it is possible to get a grant for attic insulation or solar panels. The grant for attic insulation is at 80%. There are a range of reasons to go for solar panels, including zero VAT, not requiring planning permission, being able to sell power back to the grid, etc. There is a €2,400 grant for solar panels. A number of interventions can be taken beforehand.

We will have guidance in September to clarify how traditional homes will be upgraded. I understand the question the Senator raises about how someone who needs to apply lime plaster to a building will manage the external wall insulation. We need technical guidance on that before we can proceed.

There are steps that people can still take in the meantime, for example, an 80% grant. Retrofitting is not exclusively for people with large quantities of money.