Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
598. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many local authority tenants in Dublin city have had their homes retrofitted; how many are planned to be carried out over next three years; the waiting time for tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13620/24]
View answer615. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of the average cost to upgrade to a BER B2 as part of the retrofit of social housing in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13935/24]
View answer616. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on our 2030 retrofitting targets; to report on the pathway between now and 2030 to reach our 2030 targets; to provide a breakdown of projected/estimated targets for completed retrofits in social housing in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030; to provide a breakdown of projected/estimated targets for completed retrofits to a BER B2 standard or higher in social housing in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13936/24]
View answer617. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of the retrofitting targets in social housing in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; to provide a breakdown of how many retrofits were completed in social housing in the corresponding timeframe; to provide a breakdown of the retrofitting targets in social housing; to provide a breakdown of how many retrofits were completed to BER B2 standard or higher in social housing; to provide a breakdown of the retrofitting targets in social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13937/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 598, 615, 616 and 617 together.
Since 2013, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) to support local authorities with the retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Over the period 2013 to the end of 2023, local authorities received over €308 million in funding to carry out energy upgrade works on over 79,000 properties.
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.
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. The actual cost of retrofitting works on each home will depend on its pre-works BER. Targets set and funding allocated to local authorities under the new programme calls allow for local authorities to undertake a variety of house types, from those requiring minimal investment to those requiring major investment, in order to achieve the B2/Cost Optimal BER. Local authorities are asked to ensure that the average cost per home drawn down under the programme is circa €34,000, excluding project management fees. Adhering to this average will ensure that the maximum number of homes can be retrofitted with the available budget. For 2023, the average cost per property was circa €31,500.
An annualised breakdown of the total funding provided and the number of properties upgraded under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit programme for the years 2013-2023 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/.
My Department also introduced a pilot Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme in 2020, the details of which are found below. A further 674 properties were retrofitted to a BER of B2/ Cost Optimal Equivalent and these figures are in addition to the National Retrofit Programme.
www.gov.ie/en/publication/b86b3-midlands-energy-retrofit-programme-expenditure-and-units/#.
Each year the target number of units and funding provided under the EERP are subject to the funding availability as part of the National Development Plan and annual Estimates process. The 2024 EERP budget provides an increase in funding support to €90 million to retrofit 2,500 properties. Local authorities have received their individual allocations and work is underway in that regard.
