Residents Of Eco-Friendly Estate Facing 8th Winter Without Sufficient Heating

Residents of an eco-friendly estate are facing an 8th winter without sufficient heating after the wood burning heating system originally installed was classified as a health hazard.

Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow & Kilkenny, Bobby Aylward, called on the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Simon Coveney, to take urgent action to address the problems faced by the residents of Polerone Green in Moocoin.

Deputy Aylward made the comments after raising the issue with Minister Coveney through a Dáil parliamentary question.

"Residents ... have been living without a functioning heating system for nearly 8 years now. A wood burning heating system was originally installed in the eco-friendly estate, but these have been classified as a health hazard by an independent report commissioned by the local authority. Accordingly these heating systems cannot be used to warm the homes in this estate," Deputy Aylward said.

"I tabled a question to Minister Coveney on this issue to ask him why his department is yet to approve funding to fix this problem. I understand that the department must examine all requests for funding from local authorities, but nonetheless the Minister needs to recognise the seriousness of this situation. Concerned residents, some of whom are elderly, are facing into their eight winter without sufficient heating in their homes. These botched heating systems need to be replaced without any further delay.

"Minister Coveney has confirmed to me that his department will shortly be in contact with Kilkenny County Council to discuss the allocation of funding for these repair works. I will continue to raise this issue with the Minister until we get a satisfactory outcome," Deputy Aylward concluded.

(MH/LM)