Fine Gael's Dublin North West TD, Noel Rock, has called for the recently announced Solar PV Grant to be extended to all Irish homeowners.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) initiative aims to encourage the installation of solar photovoltaic panels and battery storage systems in properties. However, owners of dwellings built and occupied after 2011 will not be eligible to receive grant funding.

Despite welcoming the announcement, Deputy Rock said he is concerned these homeowners will be excluded from the initiative.

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"We should be encouraging all of our citizens to transfer over to renewable energy sources," he said.

"While I appreciate many new build houses are energy efficient and while we have seen progress in terms of new developments equipping their dwellings with solar panels, there is still a number of young families in dwellings post-2011 who don't have solar panels and are now being excluded from this scheme.

"I think it is ridiculous that the houses with the most recent wiring, and already the most energy efficient on average, are being actively excluded from this improvement scheme."

Continuing, Mr Rock acknowledged the scheme will be reviewed in six months' time and said he would call on SEAI to review the eligibility process for this scheme at that time.

"We need to be taking the lead on the use of renewable energy and we need to be encouraging all of our citizens to make the switch over and ensuring an easy and stress free transition for all of those considering moving to renewable energy," he concluded.

(LM)