Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A RULE CHANGE that would have prevented older people from getting financial support to buy a replacement for a broken oil or gas boiler has been scrapped, after fears were raised it would have left some older people “trapped” in increasingly cold homes.
It would have applied to private housing, and came about after the last government initially directed local councils to cease grants to replace broken gas and oil boilers due to new EU legislation.
However, in updated information issued on the Citizens Information website for the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, people can now avail of the financial support to buy a second-hand boiler to replace their broken one.
The change to the government-backed scheme to has been welcomed by Age Action, after it had issued a warning about the original plan.
While the move was meant to encourage people away from fossil fuels for their heating – by transitioning to more sustainable air-to-water systems – Age Action had feared it was too rigid and shortsighted.
The group said this was because it didn’t factor in Ireland’s “poorly insulated” one-off housing stock that can often be more costly to keep warm.
The grant is for essential work to improve the condition of an older person’s home so they can continue to live there. It is aimed at people aged 66 and older living in poor housing conditions.
After the new rules were changed to allow the replacement of oil and gas boilers, Age Action’s senior policy specialist Nat O’Connor told The Journal that it was relieved to see the proposed system tweaked.
It looks like the government is continuing its existing policies to phase out fossil fuel boilers, but we welcome that there is some flexibility to help people buy second hand boilers or to repair or move an existing boiler
O’Connor added that it was also welcome that people can opt for electric heaters or wood pellet systems, explaining that these can be better for some people than heat pumps.
“Our main concern was that heat pumps don’t work for everyone, especially in poorly insulated homes, so it is good to see that there are some other options funded under the scheme,” O’Connor said.
The group previously said it has found that older people are concerned by climate change but that the original proposal flew in the face of calls made in recent years for a ‘just transition’.
When it initially aired concerns about the ceasing of the grant, Age Action said it would take 20-25 years to make Ireland’s housing stock sustainable.
In the meantime, the group says that allowances have to be made for older people who are at risk of being left out, either due to lack of money or because the works needed to replace their central heating may be difficult to manage if they are approaching the end of their lives.
Late last year, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage instructed the country’s local councils to cease grants for the replacement of gas and oil burners for elderly people.
It was to come into effect from the start of this year, as the result of new EU legislation included in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.
The updated advice, published in recent weeks, extends the grant for anyone buying a replacement boiler once it is done by a qualified contractor.
If your home was approved for a grant for a new fossil fuel boiler before 1 January of this year, the grant will still cover a new fossil fuel boiler.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
These depraved people traffickers know full well that no EU nation will allow a ship carrying hundreds of migrants crash onto rocks drowning and injuring hundreds of people….set the course and let it go. These traffickers should be shot on sight….
They must be brought to justice but once you put them down other dogs will happily step forward to fill the void. People are desperate and will continue to venture on such dangerous journeys until the motives driving them to go are addressed.
Of course they should not be allowed to crash onto rocks, but at the same allowing every one of these ghost ships to disembark it’s passengers in the EU, just compounds the problem and only encourages the smugglers. They should be intercepted and towed back to wherever they came from.
Because they know that the EU is a soft touch and that we want to commit cultural suicide.
Because they are desperate for some sort of life that everyone needs. Look on it as foreign aid for the less well off.
Well they should not mess up there own country, we don’t want there wars on our streets like in Hamburg a few weeks ago between Sunnis and Kurds.
How is it foreign aid if they end up living here and attaching themselves to European social welfare? These people are illegal trespassers and need to be treated as such. Those behind the trafficking need to be ruthlessly hunted down and arrested.
The days of Europe allowing in everyone and anyone with a sob story needs to be put to bed. We are not a global soup kitchen.
Cultural suicide?
Sounds very brehvik to me…
Yes, cultural suicide. They don’t just give up their own culture, customs and religious beliefs once they enter Europe, you know? The question is, is their culture, customs and religous beliefs compatible with ours?
Careful now Jay, your thin veil of prejudice is slipping
I think the culture in third world countries is greatly inferior to that of ours here in Western Europe.
Sue me.
Yes – what with all our wars, theft of language and religious suppression – we’re just so much better here in good old Europe.
Stunning.
Europe has been at peace for over half a century, is pretty secular and theft of languages? You’re speaking English.
We have over 20 million people unemployed in Europe. A lot of them are non EU immigrants as is(Souce: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/non-eu-citizens-twice-likely-be-unemployed-303834).
Where will these people work? Its not like we have a shortage of unskilled labour. Where will live? Will they need healthcare? Education? Language lessons? Welfare? Who shall pay for it all?
We are not running a global soup kitchen here.
Ok Jay ok….. I’ve had a look through the other comments you’ve made on here and it’s obvious that you are not anti-immigration. You’re quite simply anti everyone else.
There’s no talking to people who have decided that everything is wrong with any given issue.
He raises valid points though Tony, who will cater to these individuals and their needs in Europe and who will pay for it? Futhermore what of the countless millions that will follow them, where are they to go?
Care to deal with the points that I made? Stop bringing up Breivik and trying to smear me. You wouldn’t have the balls to do that to my face, so don’t do it online. Deal with the topic at hand.
Searching through my posts. You’re an odd character.
I agree there are serious issues with migration, but the simplicity of “send them back” as a solution? That just doesn’t work.
These days a lot of these boats are filled with Syria refugees. To even call them migrants is inaccurate.
What doesn’t sit well about it all is a whole mess of double standards. Tens of thousands of Syrian people dead, tons of illegal irish in America yet we still talk of send them back?
Immigration as a lot of challenges and I can’t say I know what the solutions are, but it’s not to create resentment between nations.
I made the point that e made a similar claim. I would make the same point to your face, nothing to do with balls.
I’ve no wish to get into flaming, I just don’t see any reasonable solution being offered.
If “send them back” is your only offering then you’ve as much to offer as me in terms of solutions. Immigration is a fact, and wasn’t an issue during the boom.
What country did you live in during the boom? It was a huge issue. As for solutions. How about this. An immigration policy that benefits the country and natives, not only the immigrants. An immigration policy that prioritises skilled migrants and entrepreneurs, but also keeps out the unskilled, uneducated or those that came for the mooch. All “language schools” closed. Those that undertook sham marriages for residency to be deported along with failed asylum seekers. Instead of dishing out citizenship like confetti at them.
How’s about that for starters?
I lived in a country that BENEFITTED from migrants during the boom (this one).
Very little of your suggestions address people who are fleeing places where there have been thousands of deaths. Personally, I think you’re right with closing loopholes; I don’t think anyone should have to pay for those who’s only intention is to take advantage.
Maybe you should have started with that rather than agreeing with “cultural suicide”.
I’ll send 3 of them over to your gaff later, Tony. Assume you’ll be cool with it.
A homeless man died only a few meters from our national parliament. The problem of homelessness is growing by the day.
The Knights of Columbanus, who dish out Christmas lunches every year to the needy, said the numbers coming to them has doubled in the last three years.
We have enough deprived people of our own to cope with than to import even more
We spent €635 million on foreign aid last year. How much of that could have been used to alleviate the homeless situation at home?
This was always bound to occur with foreign leaders and governments being toppled on Europe’s doorstep.
Its a tragic situation which will undoubtedly warrant multiple tactics and answers to remedy but a zero tolerance policy surely must be adopted similar to that which Australia has succesfully used to stem the flow and reduce drownings. When boats are being towed back to their port of origin these desperate souls and the others waiting will realize its a pointless endeavour, thus removing the carrot the traffickers are only too delighted to dangle in front of them. Otherwise where do you draw the line? At what point should Europe stop accepting responsibility and demand the Islamic countries of the region like Iran, Qatar, SA do their part?
The UN and EU should also be establishing safe areas with the essentials and the things they desiee (security, housing, schools, hospitals etc) in the countries where these migrants originate to lessen the temptation to travel.
The mega rich Gulf nations have barely taken any refugees from a conflict they’ve done so much to fuel and prolong. It’s a disgrace.
It looks good for TDs and MPS and euro minsters to take them in but how many are they taking into there posh areas they dump them on working and middle class areas and then forget about them and who pays for this joe public as always.
Couldnt agree more. Id love to see Aodhain O R take in the Roma and Asylum seekers he has such a fetish for and put them in housing right next to his own. Unfortunately that will never happen. The government like to take these people in to look good, and then they f*ck them out to the working class suburbs far away from their cosy D4 houses next to the HQ of their propaganda station RTE.
Meanwhile in “working class land”, the local Spar have employment contracts with agencies in India, the local Lidl have employment contracts with agencies in Eastern Europe. The school places are set to prioritise “diverse” children. The local housing is set to prioritise “diverse” families. (just look at the story a few weeks ago on the journal where Irish families were being evicted to essentially make way for immigrant families)
Vice did a good documentary about these boats landing in Lampedusa.
Did they mention Dapper Laughs in the documentary? They love to remind us about how much they hate him in nearly everything they publish lately.
The elite and bankers want us all to be drowned in debt (the way we are right now) and living in poverty. It’s working. Wake up sheep. Heck the Chinese believe this is the year of the sheep.
Year of the goat
Sink it at sea…
174,000 make it to Italy, a couple of thousand die. 95+% success rate, don’t expect people to stop coming for a while!! Money well spent really…
Man the torpedos!
Extreme right and ill informed comments here are the majority thus far. Worrying, especially for a nation who largely enjoy free movement.
have your say