Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 April 2025
282. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the new climate action plan will include a commitment to provide additional supports for the retrofitting of approved housing body social housing. [19878/25]
View answerThe new Climate Action Plan commits to the continued implementation of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) residential and community energy upgrade schemes. In this respect, my Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the SEAI, to support homeowners and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to improve the energy efficiency of their dwellings. This includes SEAI part-funded schemes which offer grants for individuals who can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades, as well as free energy upgrades for people at risk of energy poverty through the fully-funded Warmer Homes Scheme.
The part-funded schemes provide grant support for a range of energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings owned by private homeowners, private landlords and AHBs, with higher grant levels available to AHBs. The Better Energy Homes Scheme allows homeowners, including AHBs, to take a step-by-step approach and self-manage their respective retrofit projects, while the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (NHEUS) and the Community Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme are aimed at homeowners, including AHBs, wishing to undertake a whole-home energy upgrade to achieve a BER of at least B2 with a minimum primary energy uplift of at least 100 kWh/m2/year. The NHEUS and the CEG Scheme both offer a start-to-finish project management service through registered One Stop Shops (OSSs) and Project Co-ordinators respectively. In recent years, strong partnerships have been developed between the AHBs and the OSSs under the NHEUS as well as with Project Co-ordinators under the CEG Scheme. Data from the SEAI shows that, in 2024, 769 AHB dwelling upgrades were supported - 545 under the NHEUS and 224 under the CEG Scheme.
This year a record capital budget of almost €550 million has been allocated to the SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes to support home energy upgrades. In addition, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has made €90 million available for the Local Authority Retrofit Scheme.
