Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 January 2018
135. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are plans to extend to the warmth and wellbeing scheme to other counties, including County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3557/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Warmth and Wellbeing scheme is a pilot initiative being delivered under the Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty and the Healthy Ireland Framework. Its main aim is to demonstrate the positive effects that making homes warmer and more energy efficient can have on the health and wellbeing of people in energy poverty who are living with a chronic respiratory condition. The Warmth and Wellbeing scheme is a joint policy initiative between my Department and the Department of Health. The pilot began in 2016 and has now entered the final year of its 3 year operational period. I have allocated €20m to the pilot scheme under the Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) are working together to deliver the scheme.
As it is a pilot scheme, the resources available to the scheme are limited and consequently I have had to limit eligibility for the scheme. The operational area for the scheme was selected as Community Health Area (CHO) 7, following consultation with the Department of Health and the HSE. This CHO encompasses Kildare/West Wicklow, Dublin West, Dublin South City and Dublin South West. Within CHO 7 the need to build capacity in the local public health and SEAI teams, and establish communications on the pilot with the local community, meant that further narrowing of the area was necessary and Dublin 8, 10, 12, 22 and 24 were selected as the operational areas.
An independent research project will assess the impact the scheme is having. At the conclusion of the scheme, and with independent evidence on its effectiveness, the potential for a wider rollout, including any criteria, will be considered
