Jigsaw’s mental health warning

“This type of system costs €145,000 and would reduce annual energy bills by around €25,000,” Mr Casey said. Previously, businesses of this size could expect payback in six years. “With the new announcement, a 150kWp system will receive a grant of €32,600, reducing the cost to €112,400 and the payback to four-and-a-half years,” Mr Casey said.

Firms which decide to install a new solar PV system can also benefit from the Accelerated Capital Allowances (ACA) scheme, whereby the cost of the system can be offset against profits to reduce companies’ tax bills.

“Solar PV is one of the only purchases that a company can claim 100% of the ACA in the year of purchase,” Mr Casey said.

Switching to solar power also helps businesses improve their carbon footprint and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) profiles, he added.

“A 30kWp system will reduce CO2 output by roughly 10 tonnes per year or 300 tonnes over the 30+ year lifespan of the system,” Mr Casey said.

“That is equivalent to planting 2,800 trees.”

JiGSAW, the leading youth mental health charity, has warned that the doublewhammy of lack of funding and increasing demand is contributing to ireland’s mental health support services being more stretched than ever before.

At the launch of their latest annual report, Jigsaw have highlighted new data that reveals the growing demand for its support. in 2022, Jigsaw’s community-based services offered their highest ever number of appointments to young people (36,360)1. This is in response to a consistent rise in the number of referrals that has seen an almost 70% increase since 2017.2

Jigsaw has also continued to see significant growth in demand for its online services, with over half-a-million visits to jigsaw.ie in 2022, a 104% increase on the previous year, and increases in the numbers of live Chat and email-based support sessions.3 laura Curran, Service Manager at Jigsaw Dublin City, says: “What is clear from our data is that we are working to maximum capacity. in 2022, across our Dublin services we had 8,405 referrals and offered 12,455 appointments.”