Green Party Deputy Leader Insists Focus Should Be On Measures To Prevent Heat Escaping Homes

Clare FM

Concern has emerged that some elderly people in Clare have no way of heating their homes, without burning turf. It follows a recommendation from the Climate Change Advisory Council to remove open fires from their homes, in favour of installing heat pumps. As part of the Climate Change Advisory Council’s review of the built environment sector, a recommendation has been made for houses in Ireland to move towards more sustainable means of heating. The review has also called on the Government to make heat pumps both cheaper and easier for people to install. The habitats directive was brought in by the European Commission to protect designated raised bog and blanket bogs from turf cutting and the Commission is set to refer Ireland to the European Court of Justice for failure to apply the directive. At present, despite grants being available to install heat pumps in homes, concerns remain surrounding the cost of making a house more environmentally sustainable. Doonbeg resident and member of the Clare Branch of the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association, Willie Hanrahan say people who have always cut turf, should continue to. He believes the undertaking of installing a heating system is not a viable option for old houses. The Green Party Deputy Leader claims that there are many other financially viable alternatives to turf though. Smokeless coal, stoves, as well as retrofitting and insulation are recommended as alternatives, with grants and government loans available for retrofitting to take place. Deputy Leader of the Green Party, Clare’s Roisin Garvey, insists people should focus more on measures that prevent heat from escaping their house.