Irish Rural Link (IRL) has welcomed the decision to scale back the ban on the burning and selling of turf, but say that more supports are needed for rural households when it comes to heating their homes.
The Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan announced yesterday (Monday, April 25), that those living in small villages and once-off households will not be penalised for burning turf or for selling it to other such homes.
The organisation said that while the changes are welcomed, the fact remains that there are still houses in towns burning turf that will need support if they are required to move to a new heating system.
IRL is now calling for the rollout of the local housing authority’s retrofitting programme to be expedited, and asked that every effort be made to source and employ tradespeople so the process can begin urgently.
Financial resources can present a barrier to the retrofitting process, while those in the private rented sector are often unable to make these changes regardless. As a result, many of these households will need help accessing grants from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to make their homes more energy efficient.
The organisation has proposed a community engagement programme model, similar to that rolled out for the digital switchover, Eircode and most recently, the Covid-19 Community Outreach Programme. The programme would aim to reach those that are solely reliant on burning turf and other fossil fuels to heat their homes.
IRL met with Minister Ryan, Minister Pippa Hackett and Minster Joe O’Brien yesterday to further discuss the banning of smokey fuels as well as rising fuel prices and fuel poverty.
Speaking about the meeting, CEO of Irish Rural Link, Seamus Boland said:
“We are aware that many households do not have the financial wherewithal to make the changes even with the grants that are available and would propose that a low-repayment loan scheme is now needed to help them.
“There has been great concern among our members over the past week when the ban was announced. We need to use this time now to put measures in place to support those who need financial help to make the changes to their homes,” he concluded.
Boland added that the IRL will continue to engage with the government on the issue, to ensure that low-income households do not get left behind as Ireland moves towards a more sustainable energy system.