Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I have told people that the home loan offered by councils under the home loan scheme is cheaper than a mortgage. If the banks people's mortgage application, they can get a loan through the home loan scheme. Many of my friends have accessed it. From 22 July, people will be able to access funding to buy derelict and empty houses. That is a game-changer for those who have a vision or dream of having an old home. As someone who did up an old house, I would have killed back in the day for a grant of €50,000 to €70,000. I welcome the grant.

The next matter I wish to raise does not refer to section 51 but is partly relevant to it. It is relevant to everything, really. I am referring to the need for small-scale renewable energy projects, such as small solar farms, battery energy storage projects, to stay out of the Coimisiún Pleanála planning approval process and within the remit of the local authority planning process. I understand this could be addressed in the regulations to be implemented upon enactment, but I want to put on the record that this is our expectation.

The big projects are great but small is beautiful. It is the only way forward. We need to empower communities to have faith in small projects such as small anaerobic digesters, small solar farms and small battery-energy storage facilities. We need to make them confident that we want to represent small businesses, small communities and small farmers who want to do these things.

I thank all the members of the housing committee, who have been working so hard on this. One of my colleagues, Deputy Steven Matthews, is the Chair. We did not see him for a few months. He was down in a cellar somewhere and we thought we had lost him. I welcome him back out of the cellar. I commend everyone, in opposition and government, who has been part of this for a long time and who has had many opportunities before Committee Stage to work on amendments.