Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2023
82. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to parliamentary Question No. 146 of 25 July 2023, to provide an update on the progress of the publication of review of the SEAI study into Carlinn Hall, Dundalk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41755/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is not the first time this week that I have spoken to the Minister of State about Carlinn Hall. We have a feasibility study by the SEAI into a shallow geothermal heat source solution for the communal district heating system. During the summer I received a reply to a parliamentary question that stated the report was drafted and there were recommendations for short-, medium- and long-term actions. I would like an update on where this is. We really need to provide these people with a solution.
I compliment Deputy Ó Murchú on doggedly pursuing this issue on a number of occasions in the House and outside it. Progress is being made. Generally, schemes such as those at Carlinn Hall are localised, involving apartment complexes or residential housing estates. In the Government's plans for district heating, based on international best practice, we are focusing on larger-scale projects, supplying heat to a range of buildings that can include public, commercial and residential across an entire district, for example using the heat from the waste to energy plant in Poolbeg in the docklands and beyond.
Given the reliance on gas in communal schemes, the cost to households increased significantly last year. To support such households, the Government put in place multi-billion euro support packages, including the energy credit delivered by the Department. In terms of these communal schemes, at the request of the district heating steering group, a research project was initiated to assess the viability of retrofitting an existing communal heating system with a shallow geothermal energy source. An independent consultancy was commissioned by the SEAI to undertake this research. The report has now been drafted. It contains recommendations on heat network efficiency and options for low carbon heat alternatives, including costs of installation and operation. The report will be published in early October. It is important to note that the scheme in question is privately owned and managed and decisions to implement any of the recommendations would be a matter for the relevant parties to consider.
In fairness I was asking for a timeline and I have got one for publication. We are speaking about early October. In a previous parliamentary question I asked whether we needed to do work to ensure there was an SEAI grant system for management companies and companies such as Frontline Energy and others involved in this communal heating system. This is from the point of view of delivering when we finally do have a feasible product that could offer a real, decent, sustainable heating source rather than gas, which caused all of the difficulties the Minister of State spoke about. I am told this is the case and I want to make sure that it is. We need this to be published in October and the sooner the better. Then we need to make sure that it is enacted. People have waited a long time and we do not know what exactly will be the case with gas prices. Beyond this we want sustainability and this is the Achilles heel of district heating.
A community heat system such as this provides heating and hot water for an entire development, typically an apartment block or an apartment complex. It means there is one component to be switched out so that all of those apartments can be decarbonised. The reality is that this is a great opportunity. It is much easier to switch out one large heating system than to go into 100 boilers where every apartment has its own heating system. I feel it should be targeted. I have not yet seen the draft of the SEAI report and I am looking forward to doing so. It will provide a choice of options for various types of renewable energy heating that could be put in place. It is such that it will provide good value for money for a switch. It will be liable for Government support in the same way that individual systems are liable for support. I will work with the SEAI to develop a scheme to support the replacement of these communal heating systems running on fossil fuel with new systems that run on renewable energy.
This is all very positive. I will be holding the Minister of State to his word on this. It is absolutely vital that when this is published we look at the best means. I accept there will have to be a large amount of consultation between the landlords, residents and all of the specific stakeholders involved in Carlinn Hall and any other applicable communal heating systems. We really need to make sure there is facilitation to provide them with grant schemes that are easily applicable and can provide the support that will be needed. We all get the idea that we are probably talking about going to a third party company to deliver this in some way, shape or form. It needs to be sustainable and it needs to be cost effective given what people have been through.
The SEAI has a history of supporting community grant schemes. It has good outreach operations. It has been a successful and popular programme. It is more efficient than the administration involved in individual grant schemes. There is the administration of one large scheme. There is a large benefit for it. It contributes to a community getting switched over with buy-in from many people at the same time. This type of scheme is very welcome. Anything we can do to push community energy, and move away from renewable energy upgrades being individual or corporate and towards something that is a community action, is welcome. I will help the SEAI in any way to set up the scheme when I get the report.
