‘What’s the alternative to oil and gas boilers?’ Cllr demands

Fine Gael’s TP O’Reilly is calling on Environment Minister Eamon Ryan to explain how rural dwellers will cope under his proposed plans to curtail the use of fossil fuel in homes by phasing out the installation of gas and oil-powered boilers in homes in future.

Speaking earlier this month, Minister Ryan indicated a push towards district heating systems, the first of which would be installed in Dublin within three years using excess heat from the Covanta incinerator plant at Poolbeg.

He said too that it was not acceptable at a time of a climate and energy crisis “to replace fossils with fossils” when questioned in relation to the near 8,000 homes hooked up to gas-powered boilers last year.

The policy being driven, he suggested, would lead to a likely ban on their installation at a future date, in tandem with greater supports for homes adopting renewable alternatives.

The proposed scheme would apply to all newly built homes from next year, and to installations in existing houses from as early as 2025, it has been suggested.

Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway, Michael Fitzmaurice, already labelled Minister Eamon Ryan a “total crackpot” over his plans.

The Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating add that the ban would force homeowners to shell out significant costs in order to repair existing boilers or bring them up meet to new standards.

Cllr O’Reilly’s motion, tabled at the last monthly meeting of elected members, simply asked that Minister Ryan “outline alternatives” to oil and gas boiler options.

He said “rural areas” would be especially affected by the proposals to phase such heating systems out.

“We should send a request to the minister,” said Cllr O’Reilly, whose motion was seconded by fellow party member, Winston Bennett.

At the same meeting, Independent Cllr Brendan Fay tabled his own motion calling on the council to ask that the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, and Minister Ryan “do something” about the continuing energy crisis in Ireland before SMEs, the agricultural sector, and elderly in our communities “are not able to cope” any longer.

Cap on unit prices

The Belturbet elected representative said that the €200 (including VAT) Government electricity credit was welcomed, but what was really needed to provide genuine relief to homes and businesses was a “cap” on the price per unit.

Noting that the cost was now twice and three times more than it was this time last year, Cllr Fay suggested what was needed was a full “decoupling” of the utilities markets, arguing the way the EU electricity market works means prices continue to rise due to record gas costs.

He noted how shareholders of electricity companies were making “massive profits” off the back of rising costs, and said in the face of it all, “what we’re being asked to do is open the door of the cooker after we’ve used it to heat our homes”.

Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly supported the motion, questioning how revenue from wind farms owned by big power companies are multiplying as electricity prices soar; while Sinn Féin’s Paddy McDonald lambasted the fact that ESB made €679 million in profits in 2021 yet prices were still rising.

“They have to live in the real world,” he said of such companies.

Outside factors

Fine Gael’s TP O’Reilly accepted that there were “outside factors” impacting the cost of energy, and recommended taxing the profits of energy companies.

Others to comment in the debate included Fianna Fail’s Sean Smith and Patricia Walsh, while Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley agreed with the sentiments expressed by his fellow chamber members.

He stated that the price hikes being experienced were “huge, unfair and an unbearable burden” for families and businesses, but that it was very much a “European issue” and he hoped such influence would be levied in due course.