Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
242. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 684 of 26 April 2022, the definition of deep retrofit and shallow retrofit as referenced in the document linked in the response; the average works completed under both shallow and deep retrofits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27443/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 over 75,000 homes have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of €184 million under the scheme.
Up to 2020, the EERP was carried out in two Phases:
- Phase 1 provided funding targeted at cavity wall/attic insulation.
- Phase 2 focused on fabric upgrade works to those dwellings with solid/hollow block wall construction and included the provision of some heating upgrades.
The majority of the 75,000 homes retrofitted to date have been retrofitted under Phase 1 involving cavity wall and attic insulation often called a 'shallow retrofit'.
In 2021 my Department moved away from the shallow retrofits under the previous phases to a 'deeper retrofit' based on a holistic approach, designed around the Programme for Government commitment that calls for the retrofit of 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent (BER) standard by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes.
This involves the implementation of measures as per the schedule of eligible works, such as, external wall insulation, attic insulation and the installation of a heat pump which allow for a property to reach a BER of B2 cost optimal and is reflected in the updated information published on the link below.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/
