Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 May 2023
146. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated full cost of retrofitting all local authority-owned homes by 2030; the estimated average cost per home in 2024; the number to be carried out this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23522/23]
View answerMy Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 to the end of 2022, over 77,500 local authority social housing dwellings have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €251 million.
In 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the programme, designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent (BER) standard by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes, with grant funding provided by my Department for those local authority housing retrofits.
The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit, ranging from those requiring minor levels of works to properties needing the maximum level of retrofitting required to bring them to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent standard. This allows local authorities to build on the work that has been completed in previous years by moving to a deeper retrofit. Works eligible under my Department's revised EERP include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. Works are typically carried out in this order. The installation of gas/oil boilers or solid fuel/inset stoves including wood pellet stoves are not supported by the Department under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme.
My Department issues a full year allocation and target to local authorities with the selection of properties for inclusion in the programme and the eligible measures to achieve the B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent a matter for each individual local authority.
The 2023 EERP budget provides an increase in funding support from €85 million allocated in 2022 to €87 million in 2023, with a target number of 2,400 LA homes to be retrofit. In advance of this year’s programme local authorities were advised they can complete work up to 65% of the previous year’s allocation in advance of formal approval which will issue presently. This ensures that work in relation to the 2023 programme is progressing but it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to delivery under the 2023 Energy Efficiency Programme will be available early in 2024.
