Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2021
342. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of council homes that have been retrofitted under the midlands retrofit programme 2020, by county; the associated funding costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54548/21]
View answerIn 2020 funding of €20 million was made available as part of the Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan for an energy efficiency retrofitting programme to fund upgrades to local authority houses in the midlands, under the 'Just Transition' programme. The Midland Retrofit Programme was established as a pilot programme to provide learnings on the move to 'deeper retrofit', to trial the aggregation concept and provide economic stimulus to the counties most affected by the cessation of peat harvesting for electricity generation. It centered therefore on upgrading larger batches of homes in distinct, compact geographical areas.
The Midlands Retrofit Programme has experienced significant delays due to the effects of COVID-19 and other obstacles including tendering and supply chain issues particularly concerning Heat Pumps, Windows & Doors, and Insulation. Notwithstanding the impact of Covid-19, local authorities undertook a lot of the preparatory work on the Programme in 2020 and in 2021 brought their targeted units to tender and commencement stage.
To date, 100 of the proposed 750 units have been completed and the remainder are either on site or at tender stage. A significant number of additional homes will be completed by the year end with the balance to be completed by Q2 2022.
The table below sets out the number of confirmed units completed by each local authority under the programme. No funding has been recouped at this time on retrofitting works under the programme but it is expected that claims from local authorities will be submitted in the coming weeks.
|
Local Authority |
Number of units completed |
|
Galway |
21 |
|
Kildare |
25 |
|
Offaly |
18 |
|
Longford |
24 |
|
Roscommon |
12 |
|
Total |
100 |
