Galway retrofit funding gap
Deputy Connolly raised a Galway family waiting for an energy retrofit while the city’s budget was already exhausted. The Tánaiste said retrofit schemes are often underfunded or too rigid and promised to raise the Galway case with the Minister.
I want to share with the Tánaiste a positive letter I got from Galway City Council. It is delightful. I am told the council is incredibly proud of the impact the energy retrofit programme is having in providing warmer and more efficient homes and helping to reduce energy poverty. It is a delightful letter except the family about whom I raised representations has gone on a waiting list and the city council has no money for the energy retrofit programme. It is all used up and that family is gone onto a list for next year. Yesterday, we heard the head of the Environmental Protection Agency tell us we will fail to meet all of our targets. I am drawing this to the Tánaiste's attention to show the staff are there, ready and willing, but there is no funding for them to carry out the retrofit programme.
Comment on this
I was waiting for the twist in the story. I thank the Deputy for highlighting that issue. To be blunt, there is a challenge in that lots of people around our country want to do the right thing in their own lives with regard to climate. They are finding the schemes we are providing are either not adequately resourced or are too rigid in terms of their application of rules. I am hopeful the Government can address this through budgetary processes and the NDP review. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about Galway and the fact that there are people ready to go but there is not an adequate degree of funding. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly.