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OLDER PEOPLE WILL be “trapped” in increasingly cold homes after the government directed local councils to cease grants to replace broken gas and oil boilers in private housing, an advocacy group has warned.
Age Action has said that the new rule is “too rigid and has no flexibility”, and doesn’t take into account Ireland’s “poorly insulated” one-off housing stock that often costs more to heat.
One local councillor in Waterford who has already seen the result of the rule change said it will mean a number of elderly people will be left “facing a cold winter” over the coming years unless the system is eased for older households.
It follows the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage instructing Ireland’s local councils to cease grants for the replacement of gas and oil burners for elderly people. This will come into effect from the start of next month.
It’s the result of new EU legislation included in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, previously adopted by the European Parliament and Council, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.
The Housing Aid for Older People 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.
While gas or oil boilers can still be repaired under the scheme, they cannot be replaced with a new fossil fuel system.
The measure is meant to encourage people away from fossil fuels for their heating – directing them to transition to more sustainable air-to-water systems – but it has been described as short-sighted by Age Action’s senior policy specialist Nat O’Connor.
Instead, the group wants to see an “energy guarantee”, which O’Connor explained would see someone receive cash support to help pay their bills for the remainder of their life.
“This is a process that will take 20-25 years to transform the housing stock and various cohorts of older people are at risk of being left out,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said the rule change is a particular issue for Ireland, with the country “riddled with atypical housing”. He noted that contemporary reports from the past 20 years showed that one-third of housing was unattached and one-off stock.
O’Connor said that Age Action has found that older people are concerned by climate change and want to adapt to it, but he believes the change flies in the face of past calls for a ‘just transition’.
“This is a real issue and our concern is that you can’t rush this,” O’Connor said. “With older people, they may not want their house turned up outside down due to illness and they may also not have the money to pay for a new system.”
O’Connor said the rule change poses a serious risk to older people here, pointing to Ireland having among the highest rate of excess winter mortality in Europe.
He pointed to CSO figures and Age Action research to demonstrate the precariousness facing a portion of the population.
An estimated 300,000 homes with poorer building energy ratings – E, F or G – are occupied by older people.
The CSO has also found that 6,941 homes that are occupied by older residents have no central heating, and over half of these cases are of older persons living alone.
Independent city councillor in Waterford Donal Barry told The Journal that he saw it as an “irrational decision to penalise older people for a minimal amount of carbon savings”, with the result being “unnecessary hardship and distress” to older people.
He said he had recently sought for a boiler to be replaced for one man in his area, only to be told by Waterford City and County Council that the incoming rule change will mean it’s very unlikely a replacement can be provided as before.
“The Government and the ministers responsible for older people and housing need to urgently address this issue and not cause undue hardship and suffering to our elderly,” he said.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage told The Journal that it received final guidance from the European Commission in October, confirming that a grant scheme operated by Ireland and other EU member states “shall not finance the installation of stand-alone fossil fuel boilers” from January 1 next month.
“While the European Commission is sympathetic to vulnerable households its position is that public support should not lock these vulnerable households into the use of fossil fuels for the future,” the department said.
“If an application was received and granted previous to that date, the grant may cover a stand-alone fossil fuel boiler even if paid after the 1st of January.”
The department added that other options for funding can include installation of a renewable heating systems such as heat pumps or biomass heating, electrical heating or hybrid heating systems with a considerable share of renewables.
Separately, householders may be able to avail of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) renewable energy grants, which can fund heat pump, solar thermal and solar PV systems as well as insulation to improve the energy performance of homes.
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That’s shocking…I nearly dropped my harp on the ground
Don’t think Sally O’Brien will be too fond of you after that.
1953, except for the presence of Adam Driver…and the big fibreglass boat!
Smell of benjy off all this.
Tis Just like me and the little woman last weekend when we were out shopin for new galoshes and a mangle, Be the hokey.
For a bit of realism she should have included my granny in Pic4 roaring at them “Come down outta that tree before ye break yer necks” What took ye up there in the first place?”
Legend Tony. An Irish childhood nailed in two sentences.
Nothin’ wrong with them at all at all at all at all at all at all. Be the hokey.
A gentleman would give the lady the donkey to ride.
I saw a woman ridin’ a donkey once in Mexico, turned me right off my food.
Jaysus Brendan no need to bring the mother-in-law into this.
Is that lad one of the Healy-Rae’s? Nice to see him doing well for himself.
Wouldn’t you think they’d have a Tractor in there somewhere, or at least them in a kitchen with a roaring fire on.
Upsetting to see the tractors left out.
Thoughts and prayers with the tractor family
England has d whole country gent wrapped up. So we have to make do with the sexy peasant angle
Well they could hardly show them ridin’ in the dark corner of some niteclub.
Well, lets not be too hasty there Frank
It’d better than riding in a field to be fair, what’s he going to do with that goat is what I’d love to know……….actually no…..no I wouldn’t………..
Who needs the corner of a club when you’ve got all that hay to roll around in.
My favorite has to be the tree one because up trees is clearly where sh*t happens!…….Right I’m off out now to collect wood and turf for the fire, where did I put my sturdy black boots? Oh yeah I left them in the tree the last time I had a wander up there, be gorah and ho be the hokkie (and other nonsense American Irish idioms etc)!
Be Jabbers,begob and begorrah now!! Tis a fierce bad picture if we havent two mighty Irish lads engagin in the fisticuffs the length and breath of the county and parish of Innerbred,same like in that true film that all Americans belive… “The Quiet Man.!” And where are the lads in the 1920s style mack coats ,fredoras and bandoliers of lead with the echo of a Thompson gun in their ears off to be dying for Kathleen Ni Houilann fightin the bastard Tans??? Be dad and bEgorragh as me auld mother used to say after suppin a half gallon of the finest Poteen be fore the parish preist Fr O’Melstor used to call over to give the pennance to her!!And lordsave us and perserve us!Not a red headed Coileen in the entire pictures!!!Shure doesnt that Yank one know we are all red headed here,and not a leprachaun in site either.. Tis a terror altogether havin them sinful pictures in Amerikee of Oireland lookin like that.
Be the hokey cokey
Annie Leibowitz: long since past her glory days. These photos are utterly lacking in imagination and verve. Very disappointing.
I’m choosing to believe that she was just told what to shoot and had no creative input into the project bar the lighting.
They’ve done a great job photoshopping out all those bungalows!
Not a cup of tea insight
Nare a bog nor a sodda turf to be seen.
Or any bags of fly dumped household rubbish and appliances.Must be fake!
What the f**k is this? Why’s Marty Morrissey not in this shoot?
The “lord of the rings” issue is out next month.
A real little leprechaun !
HAHAHAHAHA that’s the best I’ve seen in a long time, actually laughed out loud!!!!!! There isn’t a cuppa tae or at least an auld pinta stout to be seen. Sorry Annie ye better get back to Rolling Stone and what you know best.
That donkey doesn’t look too impressed, can’t say I blame it!
That’s hilarious! I was in location no. 4 today (Gleninchaquin, Beara peninsula). Certainly didn’t see any blokes like that there today.
They forgot to stuff sandwiches into the models socks. Other than that 100% accurate.
So did they shoot it here?
Yeah it was in Kerry
Begorrah! tis a grand soft day!
Top o the mornin to ya laddies Too be sure too be sure. Not a potato to be seen with those models. Pagan spudless f@#kers
Crap patronising photo’s. Leprechauns anyone?
Donkeys are real, leprechauns are not.
The greatest trick the Leprechauns ever pulled was convincing the world they don’t exist.
Gotta love male models. This guy would make Zoolander blush.
‘Guys, bring me a sheep I got an idea, it might just work’
Somebody get Adam a goddamn sheep! Now!
Reading that in zoolanders voice made it 100X times funnier. also with the little pout at the end
Ha! Pout is ESSENTIAL.
Is it grey steel or blue steel ?
Makes me feel so nostalgic for the old country..
it’s hard to convey absolute sarcasm through text sometimes to be sure
Jamie, I feel your pain. Daily.
If you ask him to take it out Adebayo I am sure he will oblige!
No Guinness, no potatoes, no fiddle, no way!
In glandore in cork today a few photos of this beautiful place would do wonders for Irish tourisim
Nice spot alright in the sunshine, eating out overlooking the boats.
Typical day spent wit her fella id say. Off for a nice stroll in de morning wit the donkey. Then a quick spin to the shops on the boat. Back hme then and she watches the wood pile while he has a work out with the sheep. To finish off their romantic day a nice seat in their local tree to take in the sights og the surrounding fields. Ahhhh…
The landscapes in the background are knockout, isn’t Ireland still beautiful ?
Oh sweet jesus! Well at least they didn’t get our pot of gold……
so not much has changed then…. http://brandnewretro.ie/2013/01/16/vogue-ireland-special-may1959/
Nice pics.
Funnily enough, those pictures from the 50′s look more modern. They have cars.
And indoor shots in a house which has carpeted stairs and electricity. And better dressed models!
Shame they didn’t wear Irish designers though, while they were at it.
Dear God! Where do they get them from??!!
Gok supposedly working on a new show/ spin off – ‘How to look good Irish’
Genius! I’m robbing that line for next time someone looks rubbish:
“Hey, Gok Wan failed in his attempt to make you look good Irish….”
I find this deeply offensive no mention of our fleag .
They had to shoot all the photos outside so the chickens and pigs in the kitchen wouldn’t be seen.
I think there is no use in being oversensitive about this nonsense. If an Irish mag was doing a USA feature, we would probably go for Rosanna Davidson or Glenda Gilson eating a hamburger, sitting on a harley, and wearing a native headress. Would the americanos start a debate on it? No use judging it as though it were Time or National geographic.
Cringing to death right now
I mean location no. 3, sorry. *facepalm*
Pic 1: I’d let adam driver ride me too, damn you donkey, stealing him on me!! #jealous#donkey#stole#hottie
Go home Yank!
Be de hokey! You’d think Daria would have a clue what with living in Cork with her Carpenter fella .
I’ll tip my forelock at anyone that finds this in any way advancing of the idea of Ireland as a modern, well educated, and far reaching country!
There is a chance that the tourist board will adore this as they are so in love with anything that has Four Green Fields with a shillelagh over ‘me’ shoulder. I can see the powerpoint presentation now… “Leibovitz shot us” “A big spread will encourage the yanks and plastic paddies, I wonder could we call it part of The Gather, be jaysus…” yup, and when they arrive and see the reality, imagine how disappointed they will be when they find that the last pig left the parlour years ago, and that they are more likely to find a wind farm than a farmer riding a donkey as “the fine lady” struggles behind…
It’s all blarney…
Really ?
No such thing as bad press,
Ironic that those who criticise this cannot see the irony in these shots.
I think a more sophisticated reader will, and realise the location is the real winner here. Well done Tourism Ireland!
The shoot should have taken place in lovely Leitrim.
Dolphin stealer.
In fairness…Who’s going to wear that goat scarf?
Pós bean ón sliabh agus pósfaidh tú an sliabh.
She’s Overrated,
Over-Paid,
and Over Here …
Class photos!
I miss hearing the uilleann pipes in the background!
I’m from Kerry and I do be up trees a lot
“may the road rise UP to meet you ” ; translation by google ?
Go n’eirigh an bothar leat ; “may the road rise with you ”
it means; may the road bring success or …. may your travels be successful
Pigeon translations!
Jaysus,
Just after recovering from the Eastenders paddywhackery(remember it ?) and they spring this!!!
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