Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 October 2011
22 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress that has been made on tackling fuel poverty as promised in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30085/11]
View answerEnergy Affordability is a cross-cutting policy issue and tackling the root causes requires action on a number of fronts across Government and across Agencies. Energy poverty is caused by interaction between energy prices, thermal inefficiency of the home and income. Action to mitigate energy poverty has traditionally focused on providing assistance through the fuel schemes operated by the Department of Social Protection.
However, enhancing the energy efficiency of low-income homes through permanent structural improvements is the most effective means of addressing energy affordability. To date, energy efficiency improvements in almost 76,000 homes have been made under Better Energy: Warmer Homes, which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. This year, to date, 14,543 homes, out of a target of 20,000, have been retrofitted.
Better Energy: Warmer Homes is primarily delivered by 28 community based organisations (CBOs). The CBOs work in partnership with their local network of poverty and community support organisations including public health nurses, MABS and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to identify and address vulnerable homes. Private contractors are also engaged to address areas or technologies not covered by CBOs. The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government also operates a retrofit programme for social housing.
The Inter-Departmental/Agency Group on Affordable Energy, which is chaired by my Department and which represents all key Departments, Agencies and energy suppliers as well as the Energy Regulator and NGOs, finalised its own deliberations on the Affordable Energy Strategy over the summer months.
I am completing a further round of discussions with the Ministers for Social Protection and Environment, Community and Local Government, and it is my intention, with the approval of the Government to publish the Affordable Energy Strategy within the next few weeks.
The Affordable Energy Strategy will be the framework for building upon the many measures already in place to protect households at risk from the effects of energy poverty, which include the thermal efficiency-based measures delivered through the Better Energy: Warmer Homes programme. Providing significant energy efficiency improvements to homes in, or at risk of, energy poverty, results in benefits to recipients in terms of energy affordability, tangible health improvements and overall well being.
