Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Today, I want to request that the Leader would ask the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to come to the Chamber for a debate, specifically on the climate action plan targets and the national retrofitting plan. I will pre-empt the Leader's possible answer to me that I should put down a Commencement matter. It is on the back of having such a Commencement matter down last week that I feel the need to raise this here today and for the Minister to come in to address a number of issues. The issue I raised in the Commencement matter last week was in relation to the national retrofitting plan, the SEAI's warmer homes scheme and the wait times, which can be up to 29 months from application to completion and which they acknowledge. The answer I got in the Commencement matter did not give me any hope that it will improve in the near future. On the back of that Commencement matter, I had a lot of correspondence about other issues which people would like discussed with the Minister, in particular, the reduction of the solar grant by €300 and the fact that a lot of people out there believe - I would agree - that there should be a stand-alone grant for doors and windows. Within the list, attic insulation, wall insulation, draught-proofing, lagging jackets, energy-efficient lighting and energy advice are covered but one has to do some other project along with doors and windows.They are not a stand-alone item. In many of the aged houses in Ireland, we should have a stand-alone grant for just doors and windows which are the most draughty factor in making houses colder than any of the aforementioned.

On the back of that correspondence and the response I got, I believe that this is an important enough issue for the Minister to come to the House so that all Members would have an input in a debate here with him on the aforementioned topics.