9. Mr Honeyford asked the Minister for Communities whether he will introduce funding for the installation of energy efficiency and decarbonisation measures for low-income families in domestic properties. (AQO 774/22-27)

Improving energy efficiency and installing decarbonisation measures in homes is a vital part of addressing Fuel Poverty and meeting our requirements under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. My Department is responsible for the affordable warmth scheme, which aims to assist low-income owner-occupiers and households in the private rented sector with an annual household income of less than £23,000. The scheme provides a range of energy efficiency measures, including loft, cavity wall and solid wall insulation; the replacement of inefficient heating systems; and the replacement of windows, where appropriate. My officials are in the early stages of developing a new and more ambitious fuel poverty energy efficiency scheme for low-income households to replace the current affordable warmth scheme, which ends in 2026.

I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he outline how he is going to meet the carbon goals in relation to housing as we move into the years ahead?

Of course, as we all know, the House passed the Climate Change Act, which gave us the climate change targets. Those are going to be incredibly difficult for us to meet. Of course, they were beyond what was recommended by experts at the time. We now have to live with the consequences of the decision that this place made.

The schemes that I have outlined will contribute to net zero targets. That is important, as residential decarbonisation is significant, but what is more important is ensuring that people have a warm home to live in. That is where the real benefit comes from.