Vol. 524 No. 5
193 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the budgetary provision she has made in the 2000 Estimates to meet the cost of the home insulation programme recently costed in a report by energy action at £1,300 million over ten years; and her plans to expand spending in this area. [23096/00]
The Green Paper on Sustainable Energy which my Department published late last year recommended a substantial increase in our efforts to increase energy efficiency among targeted consumer sectors. This initiative has been followed through in the national development plan where £146 million has been allocated for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures over the period up to 2006. On average, this works out as a tenfold increase in the Exchequer provision for this area. In the 2000 estimates, £6.2 million in total has been allocated for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures.
The approach set out in the Green Paper for the residential sector is to stimulate consumer awareness of energy efficiency in such housing stock and to establish an energy rating system which would encourage house purchasers to undertake insulation work in their own interest. £7.2 million has been allocated in the national development plan to establish a home energy rating system. In addition, £6 million has been allocated in the national development plan towards the achievement of basic standards of insulation and energy efficiency services for low income households. The resources of the Irish Energy Centre are in the course of being increased significantly to allow for the delivery of this greatly expanded programme.
The report Homes for the 21st Century prepared by the energy research group, UCD on behalf of Energy Action Limited will also be of valuable assistance in designing the measures for this sector.
My Department continues to financially support the work of Energy Action Limited, which is working to combat fuel poverty by installing energy efficiency material in low income households.
