Ivana Bacik
Ceist:45. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he proposes to expand retrofitting grants and subsidies to support the upgrading of older developments. [42984/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 8 September 2022
Ceisteanna (45)
Freagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government and Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal level and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes by end-2030. This represents approximately 30% of the housing stock and is among the most ambitious retrofit programmes worldwide.
Recognising that the achievement of these targets will require a step-change in the pace and scale of delivery Ireland’s residential retrofit programme, the Government has approved a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills.
The key measures include:
- A new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme providing increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard (up from 30%-35% grants currently).
- Establishment of a network of registered One Stop Shops to offer a new, start-to-finish project management service, including access to financing, for home energy upgrades.
- Increases in grant levels for certain measures under the Better Energy Home scheme and Community Energy Grant scheme in line with those in the new Scheme.
- A special enhanced grant rate, equivalent to 80% of the typical cost, for attic and cavity wall insulation for all households, to urgently reduce energy use as part of the government’s response to current exceptionally high energy prices. As these grants are already available to homeowners for upgrading of older developments, subject to certain criteria, there are no plans to expand the grants available.