Laois County Council have addressed comments on the 'confusion and concern' surrounding grants for oil burners, fossil fuel stoves and wood pellet stoves.

Laois Fine Gael Councillor John King raised the issue that while the Council will not cover grants for new fossil fuel boilers, they will offer to 'repair heating where heating is broken'.

The Councillor slammed 'confusing and unclear conditions' surrounding the Housing Aid for Older People Grant.

"This is a shock for people who have applied for the grant. People have applied before Christmas and would have received quotes now," he said.

"I want to know when this is becoming enforced by Laois County Council, it says here that the grant can be used 'to repair heating where it is broken'. If you have an oil burner where the boiler is okay, are you allowed to repair that? People have a misunderstanding on that. 

Pictured: Laois County Council inks contract for Laois council house solid fuel retrofitting in 2023. Picture: Michael Scully

"Also, I have asked the Council's engineers about this as well. If someone has a stove or cooker, can we give a grant for a wood pellet stove?" Cllr King asked.

The Cllr also raised that many grant applicants are confused when applying for the grant, and do not understand the workings of dealing with Revenue when applying.

Cllr King has suggested that Laois County Council return to the old method of applicants presenting a slip to the Council declaring their income sources.

"Another area of confusion is applying for the grants. If people can come in here and give in their slips, where we know and they know that there isn't money coming in from another source.

"Genuine people that don't understand the workings of Revenue, will have to deal with a lady upstairs and revert to Revenue, there is a lot of confusion and uncertainty," Cllr King said. 

Mr Donal Brennan, Director of Services said that the rules of this grant go above the Council's authority.

Pictured: The Council's air to water heat pump systems powered by electricity

"On page 6 of the application form for the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, it states "Grants are not available to buy new fossil fuel boilers." This requirement is a national requirement, not one inserted by Laois County council" Mr Brennan said.

Cllr King said that it is 'easy' for Mr Brennan to tell him to read page six of the grant, and that he has read it.

"I have people applying for the grants and reaching out to me in total confusion, prices are given to repair the oil burners, and also to repair stoves.

"Financially the turf in the shed is easier for them. The elderly are not being treated fairly, fairness should be given and shown to them," Cllr King said.

This motion was seconded by Fianna Fáil Cllr Paddy Bracken, who said that Ireland is 'jumping on the bandwagon' of European policies.

"As Cllr King has said, this is a shock," Cllr Bracken said.

"We have had the same issue with Strategic Policy Committees in housing. It's a national directive and a European directive.

"Can a French person get a grant for upgrading their boiler? can a German? That's the question I'm asking," Cllr Bracken said.

Read more: Laois council retrofitted heat pumps inflate living costs to 'double rents'

"We are gone over the top on this. There are elderly people with oil burners for 25 years, and now they are left in limbo.

"There is a mechanism where you can get a refurbished boiler- how can you refurbish a boiler if it's burnt out? It's beyond me," Cllr Bracken argued.

"What happens if someone has a stove or a coal burner for over thirty years, if they want a grant to replace this stove, that grant is gone too. We're offering to repair heating where it is broken, and to provide heating where there is no heating.

"How do we provide heating where there is no heating, if we won't provide a grant for a boiler?" Cllr Bracken asked.

"This boiler grant is not just oil, it's a gas burner one too, and that's a huge issue. We need clarification that people will qualify for a wood pellet stove under this grant.

"Also, what's going to happen to our own stock of Council houses with this issue?" Cllr Bracken asked.

"It's just beyond me, I don't know," Cllr Bracken finished.

Cllr King insisted that in an oil burner stove, the burner is a separate part that can be refurbished and easily changed.

Pictured: Wood pellet stoves appear to be included within this grant

Independent Cllr Ollie Clooney called the changes made to this grant as 'very regrettable'.

"When we had the storm and the electricity went, if people hadn't some way of heating, they were in the cold," Cllr Clooney said.

"In some cases there were people without power for three weeks. The grant was working fine the way it was, and it's another layer of beaurocracy coming from Europe.

"They don't know what they are talking about. We jump to it as well the minute its brought in, we jumped on the bandwagon," Cllr Clooney argued.

"It was a simple thing the way it was, and it worked well. It kept older people in their homes, we don't want people going into nursing homes because they are perishing with the cold. It'll cost a lot less money if people are left in their homes and looked after," Cllr Clooney said.

Independent Cllr James Kelly stated that the Council must look after all people.

"Tradition is important in our country, we have to look after the people who spent so many years looking after us," he said.

Angela McEvoy, Director of Services for Laois County Council, has said that she will speak to the Housing department for more clarity on the issue.

Pictured: Cllr Clooney highlights that many Laois locals were left in the cold during storm Eowyn

"The funding may not be provided from January 1 2025, I imagine it is strict in relation to it," she said.

"Given the bad weather we can ask if there is a transitional period people can apply through," the Director said.

"In relation to circumstances where central heating already exists in a house, central heating funding is available to extend the system to a newly constructed system," Ms McEvoy said.

"Funding is also available for repair costs where a report form a heating contractor states that the existing central heating system is broken. I don't know whether that would help in this situation," she said.

Cllr King asked whether the repair of a burner is covered under this grant, with Ms McEvoy replying that she will look for clarification on what can be interpreted on the word 'repair'. 

"A grant may be paid for repairing the cost of a stand alone and fossil fuel boiler, or installing electricity biomass based heating solutions, electric heaters or wood pellet stoves," Ms McEvoy finished.

This motion was tabled at the March sitting of Laois County Council's Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.

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