Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 February 2024
69. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what support can be offered to assist homeowners to change their heating systems to biofuel and HVO systems; if he recognises that heat pump systems are not suitable for many older houses or may be unaffordable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6743/24]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan (CAP) includes a range of measures to address the use of fossil fuel in heating systems in buildings and the National Heat Study contains the detailed analysis that is informing the development of options, policies and measures to decarbonise the heating and cooling sectors to 2050. The Study considered a number of potential decarbonisation options for a wide range of dwelling and business types. This included the use of liquid biofuels such as Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO), solid biomass, biogases and other technologies such as heat pumps and district heating networks.
The recommendation of the Heat Study is that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for domestic heating systems, with district heating also being an option that can be widely deployed. There are, therefore, no current plans to provide grants for conversion to biofuel or HVO.
In line with CAP commitments, my Department is working on the development of a Heat Policy Statement and a Roadmap for the Phase Out of Fossil Fuel heating as part of the requirement to transition to zero carbon heating by 2050 at the latest.
