The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. The Government is taking steps to create the environment for the retrofit supply chain to thrive and support the creation of jobs in the new green economy. Budget 2021 provided €221.5 million in capital funding for SEAI residential and community retrofit schemes. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes. This allocation will kick-start the first phase of our retrofit programme and is giving companies the certainty that they need to take on workers and grow. It is estimated that this investment will support over 8,500 direct and indirect jobs in communities across the country.
In September, the SEAI launched a call for projects under the new National Retrofit (One-Stop-Shop Development) scheme which includes a strand dedicated to the Midlands. A further call for projects as part of the Communities Energy scheme is imminent. The decision was taken to launch the schemes as early as possible in order to facilitate a transition from what was a 6 month, seasonal industry, into a year-round industry which will increase capacity. However, it is clear that additional workers with the right skillset will be required in the years to come in order to achieve the planned ramp up in retrofit activity.
My Department continues to liaise with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in that regard. I very much welcome the decision of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to allocate €8 million to support retrofit specific courses in 2021. This will fund 1,500 training places across the country. Minister Harris’s Department is also developing a new Action Plan for Apprenticeship for the period 2021-2025 which will help to provide more workers with skillsets crucial to retrofit.
