Ireland has become “incredibly good” at retrofitting homes, Eamon Ryan has said in the wake of a critical report by the ESRI. 

Reducing emissions from residential buildings is a key part of the Government’s drive to reach net zero and the Department of Public Expenditure has lavished billions on the retrofitting industry. 

Despite this, a recent report by the ESRI has warned that Ireland remains “significantly behind targets” set out in the Climate Action Plan. 

It also questioned how effective retrofitting homes are as a way of reducing carbon emissions, noting many people increase their energy use when their homes become cheaper to heat. 

On The Hard Shoulder, former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan criticised the report as “incredibly negative”.  

“The truth is, we're actually incredibly good at this,” he argued. 

“The numbers of people who've got deep retrofitted between 2019 and 2024 increased tenfold.

“The European Union does a league table, they measure each different country. 

“So, when it comes to domestic energy efficiency improvements, we're number one.” 

A man installing a rooftop solar panel array. Image: Radharc Images / Alamy

On the question of whether retrofitting is worth the money, Mr Ryan added that living in a warm retrofitted home is an “incredible advantage”. 

“You talk to anyone who comes down in the morning in their pyjamas and the house is still warm from the night before and you can put on the kettle without feeling bloody freezing,” he said. 

“That's a world of a difference, that's a different home… It's an incredible gain for your health, for the enjoyment of living in the and the value of the home goes up too.”

A man measures loft insulation to cut down heat loss in a house. Picture by: Global Warming Images / Alamy Stock Photo.

Mr Ryan added that retrofitting homes is essential if Ireland is to reduce its reliance on foreign energy imports. 

“It'll take two or three decades, but we would live in a country then where every single house is properly insulated for the climate we live in, which would still be cold, even with global warming,” he said. 

“And that is a mechanism that addresses fuel poverty, it protects us against wars in the Middle East or elsewhere, the Russians switching off the gas and so on. 

“As well as improving our health and the environment.”

Main image: Eamon Ryan. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy.