Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2022
182. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of attics that would have been insulated by 2021 assuming that the rate of attic insulation would have continued at the rate seen in 2011 and been maintained in each subsequent year. [51306/22]
View answer183. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of attics that remain to be insulated. [51307/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 183 together. 182 and No. 183 together,The Climate Action Plan set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the residential sector from 7 Mt CO2 eq. in 2018 to between 3.5-4.5 Mt CO2 eq. in 2030.Recognising that the achievement of this target will require a step-change in the pace and scale of delivery Ireland’s residential retrofit programme, earlier this year the Government approved a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills.One of the key measures included a special enhanced grant rate, equivalent to up to 80% of the typical cost, for attic and cavity wall insulation for all households, to urgently reduce energy use as part of the Government’s response to very high energy prices. To date this year, applications for attic and cavity insulations have tripled compared with last year, on foot of this initiative. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have confirmed that, in 2011 approximately 36,000 homes had attic insulation installed under the Better Energy Homes Scheme.
The SEAI estimates that there could be of the order of 500,000 homes that have attic insulation with a thickness of less than 120mm (4-5 inches) of mineral wool that could benefit from additional attic insulation .
