Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 September 2022
77. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps that he is taking to reduce the cost of insulating homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45548/22]
View answer82. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he plans to bring measures forward to make energy-saving easier for people to achieve over the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45646/22]
View answer106. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps that he is taking to promote the insulation of homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45547/22]
View answer117. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to address the affordability of retrofitting under SEAI grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45748/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 77, 82, 106 and 117 together.
The National Retrofit Plan sets out the Government's approach to achieving our national targets of upgrading the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal level and installing 400,000 heat pumps to replace older, less efficient heating systems by 2030.
Earlier this year the Government approved a package of significantly enhanced supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades. This included increases in grant rates from circa 30% to circa 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 standard and up to 80% of the typical cost for cavity and roof insulation. Data from the SEAI shows that since the launch of the new measures, demand across the retrofit schemes has been exceptionally high. As of the end of last month, over 30,000 applications for support had been received by SEAI. This is more than double the number received during the same period last year. This demand is translating into delivery with 13,400 home energy upgrades completed with support from across the range of schemes, up 70% when compared to the same period last year. Full details on the range of SEAI supports available can be found at www.seai.ie.
My Department is also engaging with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland and the European Investment Bank in relation to the development of a residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme. This will enable credit institutions to offer loans with reduced interest rates to private homeowners and non-corporate landlords and make comprehensive home energy efficiency upgrades more affordable to consumers. It is intended that the loans under the guarantee available in the coming months.
Response 5 of the National Energy Security Framework introduced the nationwide Reduce Your Use campaign which is a programme of communications informing consumers and businesses what actions they can take to reduce their energy demand, how they could lower energy bills and what supports, including retrofit and insulation grants, are available to them. Further information can be found at www.gov.ie.
