Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
101. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Climate Action and Communication Networks the number of additional jobs which will be supported in the midlands through the funding provided in the July Stimulus for retrofitting.. [25130/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets for the number and depth of residential retrofits to be completed by 2030. The targets are to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. A Retrofit Taskforce has been developing plans to drive achievement of these targets. A central element will be SEAI grant schemes.
The July Stimulus package commits to increasing the SEAI budget by €100 million in 2021. This additional funding will be focused on community retrofit schemes, retrofit schemes supporting those in energy poverty as well as other initiatives to support the achievement of our retrofit targets. The SEAI will shortly be announcing the first details of the new and expanded retrofit schemes. By announcing this funding now, the Government is providing certainty to the sector so that they can continue approved programmes of work, bid into new and expanded schemes, maintain a pipeline of retrofit activity, and sustain and create jobs.
It is estimated that the additional €100 million announced in the July Stimulus will support 3,200 direct and indirect jobs throughout the country. As such, the additional funding will benefit not only the Midlands region but will also help to support residential retrofit schemes in all counties.
In addition, the Midlands retrofit project is a key action in the Climate Action Plan and will provide evidence of the benefits and challenges of delivering retrofit through an aggregated, area-based approach. The project will also act as an economic stimulus in the regions most affected by the cessation of peat harvesting for electricity generation. The social housing retrofit funding of €20 million will support an estimate of 400 jobs directly and indirectly. This initiative is an example of the Government's commitment to making Ireland a leader in responding to climate change through the delivery of policies to reduce emissions across key sectors and supporting a just transition.
