Written Answers Nos. 201-220
201. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 158 of 15 September 2021, if tenders for the courses and training provided were issued; if so, the persons who responded; the criteria by which the course provider was ultimately chosen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46192/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy was advised in response to Parliamentary Question No. 158 of 15th September, my Department has not had any contracts with the companies in question since the 1st January 2015. The companies have not provided any courses or training services to the Department during this period.
202. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a list will be provided of all grants and supports by grant type and amount provided to a company (details supplied) by organisations under the remit of his Department in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [46233/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraDue to commercial sensitivity, Enterprise Ireland is not in a position to release payment information by grant type. The table below details the total payments made to the company referred to in the Deputy’s question, for the period 2016 - 2020 and to date in 2021.
|
Year |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 to date (23.09.21) |
|
Payment Value |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€7,200 |
€0 |
€1,773.53 |
203. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made on plans to update the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act 1996, specifically the provisions on European works councils dispute resolution processes; if he will publish the recent communications between the European Commission and his Department on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46502/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA European Works Council (a “EWC”) is a body that facilitates information and consultation with European employees on transnational issues. EWC are subject to the law of the Member State in which they are located. They derive from Directive 1994/45/EC (the “EWC Directive”) as transposed into Irish law by the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act 1996. A recast by Directive 2009/38/EC was given effect by European Communities (Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act 1996) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 380 of 2011).
The purpose of the recast Directive is to improve the right to information and to consultation of employees in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings. The general provisions of the Irish Regulation follow the provisions of Directive 2009/38/EC faithfully providing mechanisms for dispute resolution. There is no case law to support an assertion that the provisions of the Regulation are insufficient.
My Department has replied to queries raised by the European Commission in relation to a complaint it had received. The estimated assessment date associated with this process is 18th November 2021. As the process is incomplete it is not appropriate for me to comment further at this time.
204. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the former workers in a company (details supplied) will be eligible for the special payment announced by him on 21 September 2021 for employees made redundant who have lost reckonable service while in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment or another jobseeker's payment during the pandemic. [46532/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraReckonable service is service that is included in the calculation of a redundancy lump sum payment. The existing provisions of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 provide that a period of lay-off within the final three years of employment before redundancy is not allowable as reckonable service.
Therefore, as matters stand employees who have been laid-off due to Covid-19 restrictions, and in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) or an equivalent jobseeker’s payment, would not have this period allowed to be counted towards reckonable service in the event that they have already been, or will be made redundant within the next 3 years.
Because the necessary Government-enforced lockdowns caused layoff situations which resulted in this loss of reckonable service for some employees, the State will make a payment in respect of periods of layoffs due to Covid-19 in situations of redundancy.
The payment will apply to workers who have been, or who will be made redundant in the next 3 years, and who have lost reckonable service due to layoffs caused by Covid-19 restrictions, and who were in receipt of PUP or other jobseeker’s payment for the period up to 30th September 2021, the date Section 12A of the Redundancy Payments Act will expire.
The amount an eligible worker will receive will depend on the length of time they were placed on layoff due to Covid-19 before the date they were made redundant.
It is expected that the application process will open in the first half of 2022. It is only at the application stage that the Department of Social Protection will be in a position to determine any worker’s eligibility for this payment, based on the information provided in the application.
205. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of EU directives relating to his Department that currently require transposition into Irish law; the number of such directives for which the deadline for transposition has passed; the communications both formal and informal that he has received from the European Commission regarding the failure to transpose said directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46536/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe requested details of EU Directives relating to my Department that require transposition into Irish law are set out in the attached table.
|
EU Directives that require transposition into Irish law |
Transposition deadline passed Yes/No |
Details of Communications from Commission on failure to transpose Directive |
|
EU Directive 2020/1833 of 2 October 2020 amending the Annexes to Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards adaptation to scientific and technical progress. |
Yes |
A Formal Letter of Infringement against Ireland has been received and a response has issued along with a copy of the draft transposing Regulations. It is expected that the Regulations will be finalised within the next month. |
|
EU Directive 2019/1152 on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions |
No |
N/A |
|
EU Directive 2019/790 on Copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market |
Yes |
The Commission, in correspondence dated 23rd July 2021, issued a formal notice to the State in respect of non-transposition of the Directive. The Department responded to that notice within the specified deadline confirming that work is still ongoing to Transpose EU Directive 2019/790, taking due note of recent guidance from the EU Commission on certain matters. Transposition is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks. |
|
Directive (EU) 2019/2121 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132 as regards cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions |
No |
N/A |
|
Directive (EU) 2019/1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market (ECN+) |
Yes |
The Commission sent a Letter of Formal Notice on 18th March 2021 in relation to the failure to transpose the Directive. No further correspondence has been received to date. The Directive will be transposed through legislation expected to be published in this session. |
|
EU Directive on Representative Actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers – EU 2020/1828 of 25 November 2020 |
No |
N/A |
|
Directive (EU) 2019/770 of 20 May 2019 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services |
Yes |
No communications received to date. The Directive will be transposed through legislation expected to be published in this session. |
|
Directive (EU) 2019/771 of 20 May 2019 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 and Directive 2009/22/EC, and repealing Directive 1999/44/EC |
Yes |
No communications received to date. The Directive will be transposed through legislation expected to be published in this session. |
|
Directive 2019/2161 of 27 November 2019 as regards the better enforcement and modernisation of Union consumer protection rule amending Directives 93/13/EEC, 98/6/EC, 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU |
No |
N/A |
|
Directive 2019/1023 on restructuring and insolvency |
No |
N/A |
|
Directive (EU) 2019/1023 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on preventive restructuring frameworks, on discharge of debt and disqualifications, and on measures to increase the efficiency of procedures concerning restructuring, insolvency and discharge of debt, and amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132 (Directive on restructuring and insolvency) |
No |
N/A |
206. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of the redundancy scheme and plan which he recently announced in the media that his Department is working off. [46551/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraReckonable service is service that is included in the calculation of a redundancy lump sum payment. The existing provisions of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 provide that a period of lay-off within the final three years of employment before redundancy is not allowable as reckonable service.
Because the necessary Government-enforced lockdowns caused layoff situations which resulted in this loss of reckonable service for some employees, the State will make a payment in respect of periods of layoffs due to Covid-19, in situations of redundancy.
The payment will apply to workers who have been, or who will be made redundant in the next 3 years, and who have lost reckonable service due to layoffs caused by Covid-19 restrictions, and who were in receipt of PUP or other jobseeker’s payment for the period up to 30th September 2021, the date Section 12A of the Redundancy Payments Act will expire.
The calculation for the period of lay-off will be based on the existing provisions of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967. In summary, an eligible employee is entitled to two week’s remuneration per year. If the lay-off period is not an exact number of years, the “excess” days are credited as a proportion of a year. The weekly remuneration is subject to a ceiling of €600 per week.
The amount an eligible worker will receive will depend on the length of time they were placed on layoff due to Covid-19, and not otherwise working, before the date they were made redundant.
It is difficult to assess how many redundancies are likely to unfold in the economy which, in turn, informs cost projections. While many sectors are expected to rebound relatively quickly once restrictions are lifted, redundancies in some businesses are still likely.
It is worth emphasising that there has been an effective ban on employees claiming redundancy since March 2020 and there has been very few insolvencies during this time. It is expected that this will inevitably change as the economy fully re-opens and Covid related financial supports for businesses are phased out.
207. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of venues that have applied to be a designated venue under the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 since it was enacted. [46585/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra208. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of venues his Department has deemed to be a designated venue under the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 since it was enacted. [46586/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together.
To date, three applications have been received by my Department seeking venue designation under section 7 of the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021.
These applications, which were received in recent days, are currently being examined and a decision will be made on them shortly.
209. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if it is proposed to approve permit applications in respect of workers for meat processing plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46653/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages, in circumstances where there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.
In order to maintain the relevance of these lists of occupations to the needs of the economy and to ensure the employment permits system is aligned with current labour market intelligence, these lists undergo twice-yearly evidence-based reviews which are guided by research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), the Skills and the Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU), SOLAS and involves public/stakeholder consultation. Account is taken of education outputs, sectoral upskilling and training initiatives and known contextual factors such as Brexit and, in the current context, COVID-19 and their impact on the labour market. Consideration is also taken of the views of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group, chaired by the Department and of the relevant policy Departments.
In May 2018, a pilot quota-based scheme was introduced to remove certain agri-food occupations from the ineligible occupations list. The scheme provided for 2,500 General Employment Permits for the meat processing industry, 500 for horticulture and 150 for the dairy sector to address the immediate needs of the sectors in sourcing labour. In addition, a quota of 300 permits was granted in respect of meat deboners. To date this pilot scheme has proved very successful for a range of employers in the sector. All quotas expired in December 2019.
A review is currently underway with 26 submissions received, including from the meat processing sector, under consideration. It is expected that the review will be finalised in early Autumn.
210. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 164 of 15 September 2021, the actions that have been completed in his Department since 14 June 2021 with regard to the situation being kept under review; the actions specifically regarding the horticulture sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46713/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs previously advised, policy responsibility for food production is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the EEA, where such skills or expertise cannot be sourced from within the EEA at that time.
As already outlined, the employment permits system is managed through the use of lists designating highly skilled and ineligible occupations. The lists are reviewed twice a year to ensure their ongoing relevance to the State’s human capital requirements. The lists are subject to twice yearly evidenced based reviews which are guided by research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and the Skills and the Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS, a public consultation process, input from the relevant policy Departments and the Economic Migration Inter-Departmental Group, chaired by the Department. Account is also taken of contextual factors such as Brexit and, in the current context, COVID 19 and their impact on the labour market. Officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, are represented on the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group.
In order to add or remove an occupation from the lists, evidence is sought demonstrating that recruitment difficulties are solely due to genuine shortages across the EEA and not to other factors such as salary and/or employment conditions. Sectors are also required to engage structurally with the public employment service of the Department of Social Protection. The review process invites stakeholders, through the public consultation, to provide data to substantiate claims of lack of skills or labour available in a detailed evidence-based business case.
A review of the occupation lists commenced with a public consultation on 1st July. The closing date for receipt of submissions was 12th August and 26 were received from a range of sectors including the horticulture sector. As outlined above the review process involves engagement with the relevant policy Departments as well as consideration of the submissions and available labour market research by the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group which is currently underway. It is expected that the review will be finalised in the early Autumn.
211. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide the Copenhagen Economics Report into the trade deals which he referenced at the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 22 September 2021. [46749/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe report "Four EU Free Trade Agreements - Opportunities and Impacts for Ireland" was published on my Department's website on 28 April this year and is available at enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Four-EU-Free-Trade-Agreements-Opportunities-and-Impacts-for-Ireland.htm.
212. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of advanced technology buildings by local authority currently under consideration by the IDA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46817/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIDA Ireland is partnering with a number of local authorities to secure planning permission for 11 new buildings, 10 of which are Advanced Technology Buildings, as shown below
|
Region |
Advanced Technology Buildings |
|
Border |
Monaghan, Carrick on Shannon, Cavan, Letterkenny |
|
Mid East |
Navan |
|
Mid West |
Clonmel |
|
Midlands |
Tullamore, Mullingar |
|
South East |
Wexford |
|
West |
Ballinasloe |
213. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the projected percentage of homes in the National Broadband Plan intervention areas that will be connected to fibre broadband under the plan in each county in each of the years 2021 to 2025, in tabular form. [45989/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra215. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the projected percentage of homes in the National Broadband Plan interventions areas that will be connected to fibre broadband under the plan in each county in each of the years 2021 to 2025, in tabular form. [46018/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 215 together. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along some 699 schools. The NBP roll out is currently a 7 year plan under the contract and deployment is due to be complete by the end of 2026.
I am advised by NBI that, as of 17 September, over 250,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed with over 108,000 premises under construction in Counties Cork, Cavan, Galway, Limerick and Monaghan.
In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground. My Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract. This plan addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-baselines milestones for 2021. Work is underway to re-baseline milestones for 2022 and beyond.
The network rollout for the National Broadband Plan is divided into 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) across the country. These are typically an area of approximately 25km in radius and in total they cover 96% of Ireland’s landmass. The architecture of the network design is specifically based on the design of the NBI network coming from the eir exchanges or the state owned metropolitan area networks (MANs). It is based on an engineering design that allows NBI to get to every premises as quickly as possible working within the confines of how fibre networks are built. Given the nature of the build and ongoing work to address the impact of Covid-19 related delays, it is not possible to give specific details on a per county basis out to 2026. NBI has indicated that c. 130,000 to 145,000 premises will be passed across all counties over 2021 and 2022.
214. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason for the delay in providing a broadband connection point under the National Broadband Plan to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46013/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraBroadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. My Department has now prioritised primary schools with no high speed broadband and continues to work with the Department of Education in this regard. An acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan will see some 677 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by the end of 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. It is expected that well in excess of 200 will be installed by the end of this year.
I can confirm that Leckaun National School is a priority school as part of this initiative and will be provided with a wireless solution by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) in the next few months.
While the dates referenced by the Deputy were sourced from the NBI website, I understand that the dates relates to the wider network deployment in the area in which the school is located and does not reflect the schools acceleration programme which will see this school connected within a matter of months. My Department has asked NBI to update their website to show that individual schools are being prioritised for early connection through these wireless solutions.
216. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when high quality access to broadband will be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); if there is a proposed timeframe for providing broadband to this location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46129/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention.
I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 17 September, over 257,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. Surveys are complete or underway in County Kildare in Killashee, Oughterard, Naas Rural, Rathmore, Kill, Kilteel, Carnalway, Gilltown, Ballymore Eustace, Bodenstown, Naas Urban, Newtown, Donaghcumper, Athy, Coneyboro, Aughaboura, Ballinapark, Castlemitchell, Bert, Kilberry, Kilkea, Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth. Areas which are close to the Wicklow border have commenced build works as part of the Blessington Deployment Area.
Further details are available on specific areas within County Kildare through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 17 September, 373 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible sites and the Department of Education for school BCPs. BCP’s are connected at Crookstown Further Education and Training and Community Centre, Bigstone Community Hall, and Lullymore Heritage Park. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
Saint David's National School, Piper's Hill Campus, and Rathmore National School have been installed by NBI for educational access. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
217. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 191 of 15 September 2021, if tenders for the courses and training provided were issued; if so, the persons who responded; the criteria by which the course provider was ultimately chosen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46193/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe course referred to in Question No 191 of 15 September 2021 was requested through my Department’s Education Support Assistance Programme (Refund of Fees). Under the Refund of Fees Circular 23.2007, officers pursuing courses for educational support and business needs may have the appropriate course refunded to them by the Department that approved the application. This course was specific to the officer’s education support application so no service was procured.
218. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the ESB is obligated to notify his Department of the number of reported power faults that take place on a national, regional or county level; if his Department will seek such information from the ESB for 2020 and to date in 2021, including the duration times for such faults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46238/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is an operational matter for ESB and not one in which I as Minister have a statutory function. I have asked the ESB to write directly to the Deputy on the matter.
219. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when a feed-in tariff will be provided for the microgeneration of sustainable energy in Ireland; the number of solar farms currently plugged into the national grid; and the number of houses that have been deep retrofitted in each of the past five years. [46297/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department outlined proposals for a new Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) in a public consultation that closed in February last. A summary report of the submissions received has been published on my Department's website. It is intended that a suitable payment for excess electricity generated on site and exported to the grid will be available to all renewables self-consumers later this year, subject to regulatory arrangements, and in line with transposition of Articles 21 and 22 of the recast Renewable Energy Directive. My Department is engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on transposing these Articles into Irish law and it is envisaged that this will be achieved before the end of the year.
It is expected the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) will publish a draft framework in the coming weeks outlining the details, including eligibility criteria and timescales for introduction, of the Clean Export Guarantee tariff for exported renewable electricity. This framework will introduce an obligation on electricity suppliers to offer remuneration to their customers, by way of a Clean Export Guarantee payment, for excess renewable electricity exported to the grid by eligible micro- and small-scale generators. I understand that the CRU consultation will last four weeks, with a decision expected to be published in November.My Department does not hold information relating to the number of solar farms connected to the grid, which is an operational matter for the Transmission and Distribution System Operators.
The following table outlines the number of SEAI supported deep retrofits to BER B2 or better in each of the past 5 years. It is important to note that local authority supported retrofits are additional to these figures.
|
2017* |
2018* |
2019 |
2020 |
To August 2021 |
|
|
SEAI supported retrofits to BER B2 or better |
662 |
817 |
2,189 |
3,210 |
1,895 |
*Figures for 2017 and 2018 relate only to the Deep Retrofit Programme, the Better Energy Homes scheme and the Solar PV scheme. Figures for 2019, 2020 and 2021 include all SEAI residential and community schemes.
220. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans for the expansion of current and introduction of new schemes for retrofitting of homes and the urgent need to deal with current applications and delivery of such schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46309/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 or cost optimal and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. A new National Retrofit Plan will be published in quarter 4 of this year. The plan is designed to address barriers to energy efficiency investments in four key areas: customer proposition and demand generation, financing and affordability, supplier capacity, and governance.
SEAI grant schemes will be a central element of the Government's approach to achieving our retrofit targets. It is intended to launch a new National Retrofit Scheme focused on achieving B2 retrofits later this year. The existing SEAI grant schemes will be aligned with the National Retrofit Scheme as appropriate.
This year, some €221.5 million in capital funding has been provided for SEAI residential and community retrofit programmes, including the Solar PV scheme and the Building Energy Rating programme. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes. It is important to note that extensive COVID-19 related restrictions on construction activity between January and mid-April had a significant impact on activity this year. Output has also been negatively impacted by challenges associated with availability and longer lead times for materials. Every effort is being made to maximise output now that construction activity in the residential sector has recommenced.
