Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2015
582. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the type of energy efficiency measures attended to by Mayo County Council on its social housing stock pursuant to funding from his Department between 2011 and 2014; how many housing units benefitted, by year; how many housing units remain in need of energy efficiency measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44088/15]
View answer583. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the energy efficiency measures attended to by Mayo County Council on its social housing stock pursuant to funding from his Department between 2011 and 2014, how many housing units had installed an oil-fired central heating system; how many had solid fuel ranges and back boilers removed in the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44089/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 582 and 583 together.
My Department provides funding for certain programmes to support local authorities in the development and improvement of social housing, including improving energy efficiency. An ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting for the least energy efficient social houses was introduced in 2013, with €77 million funding being provided by my Department from 2013 to 2015. This has resulted in improved Building Energy Ratings and comfort levels in over 30,000 local authority homes, benefitting those at risk of fuel poverty and making a significant contribution to Ireland’s carbon emissions reduction targets and energy efficiency targets for 2020.
A programme of remediation and energy efficiency measures in vacant social housing was implemented from 2009-2012, under which improvements were carried out to over 7,700 social units nationally. In 2014, a new programme to remediate vacant properties was introduced with over €50 million funding being provided by my Department in 2014-2015. Nearly 5,000 vacant units are being remediated nationally between 2014 and 2015, with a particular focus on upgrading their thermal efficiency.
The number of social housing units in Mayo that have been retrofitted under Departmental energy efficiency programmes in 2011-2014 is as follows:
|
Vacant units retrofitted 2011 |
Vacant units retrofitted 2012 |
Fabric upgrade programme 2013 |
Fabric upgrade programme 2014 |
Vacant units retrofitted 2014 |
|
62 |
26 |
193 |
131 |
80 |
Currently my Department is not supporting any programme to remove solid fuel cookers and heating systems in existing social houses. A previous programme operated over the years 2004 to 2009 and saw local authorities upgrade the central heating of 27,750 social houses, at a cost to the exchequer of €140 million.
I understand that approximately 600 social housing units that are the responsibility of Mayo County Council remain to have their insulation retrofitted. The number of units that had an oil fired central heating system installed, or had solid fuel ranges and back boilers removed in the process, are not known in my Department and are matters for Mayo County Council.
