Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
34. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has information to show to the extent to which domestic turf cutting mitigates energy poverty; and the measures taken to alleviate energy poverty specifically. [3607/21]
View answerThe Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty, published in 2016, sets out a number of actions to alleviate the burden of energy poverty on the most vulnerable in society. Research undertaken by the ESRI shows that the proportion of households in or at risk of energy poverty has reduced from 28% to 17.4% over the lifetime of the strategy. Research also shows that the proportion of people who report that they are unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm, has fallen from 9% in 2015 to 4.4% in 2019. According to the SEAI report, Energy in Ireland 2020, peat (excluding briquettes) accounted for 4.5% of household energy in 2019, whereas oil, electricity and natural gas are far more significant sources of household energy, collectively representing 85% of household energy.
Domestic turf cutting is not considered to be a widely applicable approach to alleviating energy poverty at the national level. The Minister for Social Protection provides a range of supports to alleviate energy poverty. These include a Fuel Allowance payment, of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks, which is a total of €784 each year, from October to April, to an average of 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. In addition, the Minister for Social Protection also provides an electricity or gas allowance under the Household Benefits scheme at an estimated cost of €265 million in 2021. This is paid at a rate of €35 per month, 12 months of the year.
Improving the energy efficiency of a home can protect households from energy poverty. I have provided funding to the SEAI to deliver a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty. To date over 142,000 households have received free upgrades leaving them better able to afford to heat their homes to an adequate level. The 2021 budget for SEAI energy poverty retrofit schemes is €109 million with €100 million allocated to the Warmer Homes Scheme. This represents an increase of €47 million on the 2020 allocation and means that almost half of the total SEAI residential and community retrofit budget will support people vulnerable to energy poverty. €20 million in revenues from the carbon tax has also been allocated to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to pilot an aggregated delivery of retrofitting in the Midlands. €65 million has also been provided from the exchequer to that Department to retrofit local authority homes.
Protections are also in place for those falling into difficulty with their energy bills. The CRU requires all electricity and gas suppliers to maintain a Code of Practice for Vulnerable Customers. This ensures that vulnerable customers cannot have their supply disconnected. It also ensures that people who are engaging with their supplier in relation to difficulties in paying their bills cannot be disconnected.
The Deputy may also be aware of the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme. This scheme is administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and was established in 2011 for active domestic turf cutters arising from the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation and was extended in 2014 to include raised bog natural heritage areas. This scheme is applicable to turf cutters who have been affected by the designation of raised bogs as special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas and who fulfil the qualifying criteria of the scheme. It is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years, or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog, together with payment of €500 on the signing of a legal agreement under the scheme. There are in the region of 2,600 qualifying applicants in the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme. Over 25,000 payments have been made under the scheme, to date, amounting to €37 million. 1,215 deliveries of turf have been made at a cost of just over €2.45 million.
