Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
96. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 123 of 20 March 2024, to provide a breakdown of the pre-BER and post-BER rating of solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the SEAI retrofitting programme, broken down by SEAI scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14074/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra97. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 123 of 20 March 2024, to provide a breakdown of how many solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the SEAI retrofitting programme, were fitted with a heat pump, broken down by SEAI scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14075/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together.
As I advised in Parliamentary Question number 123 of 20 March 2024, to promote and incentivise the achievement of our retrofit targets, the Government has put in place 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.
SEAI domestic retrofit programmes are available to all households, including those reliant on solid fuel for heating, who wish to undertake energy upgrades and who meet the programme criteria.
Retrofitting fossil fuel heated homes and replacing the heating systems with heat pumps and renewable energy systems is a key target of the Climate Action Plan. Budget 2024 has provided approximately €430 million capital funding (includes funding from the European Regional Development Fund) for SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy performance of their properties this year.
The requested breakdown of the pre-BER and post-BER rating of solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the SEAI retrofitting programme, broken down by SEAI scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form is not routinely supplied by SEAI to my Department. It should also be noted that in line with the respective terms and conditions of the various SEAI energy efficiency schemes, not all homeowners are required to have a pre-works Building Energy Rating (BER) to qualify for grant support:
- Better Energy Homes and Solar PV Schemes: homeowners are not required to have a pre-works Building Energy Rating (BER) to qualify for grant support, and for this reason the BER data requested on solid fuel homes is not available for homes upgraded under these schemes.
- Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme: Pre-works BER data is only available from 2023.
- National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme and Community Energy Grant Scheme: A pre-works BER is required for all homes.
I have directed SEAI to reply directly to the Deputy with the data requested, in so far as it is available, as soon as possible.
