One local councillor in Waterford who has already seen the result of the rule change come into effect.
The main conceptual idea is that a new government rule prohibiting grants for replacing broken boilers in private homes will trap elderly people in increasingly cold homes, particularly those living in poorly insulated one-off houses. Age Action, an advocacy group, argues that the rule is too rigid and inflexible, ignoring the specific needs and circumstances of older homeowners in Ireland.
