Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020
337. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the future progress of fabric replacement schemes; and the way in which it can be expanded within Cork city to take in greater numbers of houses and flats. [28287/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has operated an Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for local authority social housing since 2013. The programme improves the insulation standards and overall energy performance of local authority housing stock, which can benefit those at risk of fuel poverty and also improve the health and comfort of the occupants of local authority homes.
The programme is open to all local authorities and has been implemented to date in two phases: Phase 1 is classed as a shallow retrofit and aims to ensure that the entire social housing stock has, as a minimum, cavity wall and attic insulation. Phase 2 focuses on the fabric upgrade works to those dwellings with solid/hollow block wall construction and includes the provision of heating upgrades and replacement windows and doors; this is deemed to be a more deeper retrofit. In transitioning to the deeper retrofit implementation, my Department has requested local authorities to achieve a 'B2' or equivalent building energy rating for their housing stock.
To date over 72,000 social homes have been upgraded under the programme with funding support of some €151 million. In Cork City it has supported the upgrade of some 7,000 homes with funding of over €20.2m. This includes funding of €6.157m provided for the deep retrofit of 129 apartments across 15 different blocks. Further to this I also recently issued funding approval of €3.54m to support Cork City Council in their upgrading of a further 81 apartments.
As set out in the Programme for Government, a national retrofitting plan is due to be rolled out in 2021 led by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment. The targets set within the Climate Action Plan will see 500,000 homes nationally, retrofitted by end 2030, including private and social homes.
