Holly Cairns
Question:146. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide the number of BER assessors assigned to each county, by year, from 2019 to date, in tabular form. [22433/24]
View answerTuesday, 21 May 2024
Questions (146, 154)
Holly Cairns
Question:154. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to detail the employment arrangements for BER assessors who work with the SEAI; whether BER assessors are obliged to work alongside companies subcontracted by the SEAI to carry out works in relation to grant schemes; and if his attention has been drawn to assessors' concerns in regard to these arrangements. [22502/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 154 together.
The Register of BER assessors provides contact information for each registered BER assessor. This includes the county they are located in and the areas they prefer to cover. BER assessors are not assigned to particular counties and are free to work in any county.
The numbers of BER Assessors per county, as of today, are as follows. The numbers per county for previous years are not readily available and SEAI have been requested to gather the information and to reply directly to the Deputy.
|
- |
Domestic |
Non-domestic |
|
Antrim |
1 |
1 |
|
Armagh |
1 |
2 |
|
Carlow |
22 |
1 |
|
Cavan |
17 |
3 |
|
Clare |
26 |
5 |
|
Cork |
105 |
20 |
|
Derry |
1 |
1 |
|
Donegal |
33 |
10 |
|
Down |
1 |
2 |
|
Dublin |
214 |
78 |
|
Fermanagh |
1 |
0 |
|
Galway |
54 |
10 |
|
Kerry |
33 |
6 |
|
Kildare |
34 |
5 |
|
Kilkenny |
13 |
2 |
|
Laois |
10 |
1 |
|
Leitrim |
7 |
2 |
|
Limerick |
36 |
11 |
|
Longford |
9 |
3 |
|
Louth |
47 |
5 |
|
Mayo |
24 |
4 |
|
Meath |
48 |
9 |
|
Monaghan |
19 |
1 |
|
Offaly |
13 |
4 |
|
Roscommon |
12 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
17 |
5 |
|
Tipperary |
39 |
7 |
|
Tyrone |
2 |
2 |
|
Waterford |
24 |
7 |
|
Westmeath |
12 |
2 |
|
Westmeath |
36 |
10 |
|
Wicklow |
30 |
5 |
|
Total |
941 |
224 |
|
Domestic |
Non-domestic |
A BER assessment is a requirement of most SEAI grant and non-grant Schemes. SEAI operates a register of BER Assessors and there are approximately 940 Domestic BER Assessors and 225 Non-Domestic BER Assessors currently on that Register. SEAI does not oblige particular BER assessors to work alongside particular companies who avail of SEAI's grant or non-grant Schemes. Companies and property owners are free to choose a BER Assessor to perform their BER assessment. The BER Assessor Code of Practice stipulates that BER Assessors must carry out BER assessments independently of suppliers or installers of energy-related products or services. Hence, SEAI does not employ BER assessors. Regarding the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, SEAI has a framework agreement with a panel of Contractors. SEAI engages the services of an outsourced Managing Agent to perform pre and post BER assessments on homes upgraded by this panel under this Scheme. The assessments carried out by the Managing Agent are independent of the Warmer Home Scheme panel contractors.
SEAI has a history of routine engagement with the BER Assessor Association of Ireland which represents a significant proportion of BER Assessors, where concerns are aired and addressed insofar as they reasonably can.