Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 April 2024
115. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide details of the number of SEAI warmer homes applications received in the past three years for County Longford; and the number of these applications that were approved, in tabular form. [17420/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra117. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of energy upgrades undertaken in each of the past five years under the free (warmer homes) scheme; the distribution by the intensity of upgrade; and if he will indicate the extent of the waiting list for this scheme. [17478/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra122. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current number of people, by county, approved for the warmer homes scheme and awaiting initial assessment; and the number awaiting works, in tabular form. [17566/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra123. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of applications received under the warmer homes scheme in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, with the number of those approved, refused and completed, in tabular form. [17567/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra124. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current waiting times for people applying for the warmer homes scheme, for the initial assessment and the works. [17568/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 117 and 122 to 124, inclusive, together.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates the Warmer Homes Scheme on behalf of my Department. Delivering free energy upgrades to low-income households. Reducing the waiting times for the Warmer Homes Scheme is a top priority for my Department and the SEAI. My officials continue to work with the SEAI to maximise and accelerate the output of free energy upgrades provided under this important scheme.
Last year saw a record spend of €158 million under the Scheme and there is an increased allocation of almost €210 million in place for 2024, including funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
In recent years, the Warmer Homes Scheme has delivered a greater volume of deeper and more complex upgrades. This is reflected in the average cost of upgrades which have seen an almost tenfold increase from €2,600 in 2015 to just under €25,000 in 2023. These deeper upgrades mean that more lower income homeowners are benefitting significantly from warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills and reduced emissions. However, it is important to acknowledge that deeper retrofits take longer to complete.
This improvement in the upgrades provided under the scheme in tandem with increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit are driving significantly increased levels of demand. Approximately 29,990 applications from homeowners across the country were received from 2021 to the end of February this year. For Longford from 2020 to the end of February this year 248 applications have been received for the scheme of these 68 applications are awaiting a pre-BER and 35 applications are awaiting a survey of their home.
Data provided by the SEAI shows that a total of 1,102 applications were cancelled in 2022 and that 1,768 were cancelled in 2023. In both years, 18% of the total were cancelled by the homeowner and 82% by the SEAI. This is a significant reduction on 2017, when one in three homes was deemed unsuitable for the works available. The reduction followed changes to the scheme in 2018 that allowed additional wall insulation measures to be provided. Data for 2024 is not yet available from SEAI.
For the homes completed in 2023, the average waiting time from application to completion was 20 months. This is a reduction from 26 months for homes completed in 2022. The significant reductions in the average waiting time have been achieved through, inter alia, the following actions taken to reduce the timeline to completion and increase output under the scheme:
• Record funding has been allocated;
• SEAI has been allocated additional staff for the Warmer Homes Scheme;
• SEAI has worked to increase contractor output through active contract engagement and management;
• Actions were taken to address ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures; and
• A new €700 million contractor panel has been put in place for the next 4 years, which has increased contractor capacity to 36.
Currently there are 8,569 applicants awaiting a pre-BER and a further 6,413 applicants awaiting a survey of their home. SEAI has indicated that there is a wait time of approximately 8 – 10 months for an initial assessment. A timeline for works to be completed under the scheme can be found on the SEAI website: www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/fully-funded-upgrades-for-eligible-homes/
The scheme has delivered 14,955 upgrades from 2020 to the end of Q1 2024. To the end of February this year the SEAI reported that there are 19,387 homes on the Warmer Homes Programme.
The data requested on the current number of homes on the Warmer Homes Scheme work programme and home upgrades for the past five years can be found in the following tables.
The intensity of upgrade data sought by the Deputy is not routinely supplied by the SEAI to my Department. 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.
Table 1. sets out the number of homes currently on the Warmer Homes Scheme work programme.
|
Warmer Homes Work Programme 2024 |
|
|
County |
No. of homes |
|
Co. Carlow |
242 |
|
Co. Cavan |
198 |
|
Co. Clare |
316 |
|
Co. Cork |
2076 |
|
Co. Donegal |
672 |
|
Co. Dublin |
6,520 |
|
Co. Galway |
783 |
|
Co. Kerry |
479 |
|
Co. Kildare |
824 |
|
Co. Kilkenny |
258 |
|
Co. Laois |
248 |
|
Co. Leitrim |
131 |
|
Co. Limerick |
591 |
|
Co. Longford |
122 |
|
Co. Louth |
321 |
|
Co. Mayo |
794 |
|
Co. Meath |
749 |
|
Co. Monaghan |
213 |
|
Co. Offaly |
384 |
|
Co. Roscommon |
309 |
|
Co. Sligo |
309 |
|
Co. Tipperary |
641 |
|
Co. Waterford |
426 |
|
Co. Westmeath |
353 |
|
Co. Wexford |
640 |
|
Co. Wicklow |
788 |
|
Total |
19,387 |
Table 2. sets out the number of homes completed under the Warmer Homes Scheme for the years 2020 – to date
|
- |
Warmer Homes Work - Homes Upgraded |
|
||||
|
County |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
Total |
|
Co. Carlow |
11 |
21 |
41 |
82 |
5 |
160 |
|
Co. Cavan |
19 |
37 |
67 |
77 |
11 |
211 |
|
Co. Clare |
20 |
48 |
78 |
75 |
15 |
236 |
|
Co. Cork |
127 |
160 |
418 |
544 |
68 |
1,317 |
|
Co. Donegal |
81 |
114 |
167 |
227 |
23 |
612 |
|
Co. Dublin |
513 |
945 |
1,558 |
1,973 |
255 |
5,244 |
|
Co. Galway |
75 |
86 |
180 |
243 |
51 |
635 |
|
Co. Kerry |
48 |
57 |
148 |
147 |
19 |
419 |
|
Co. Kildare |
28 |
88 |
146 |
226 |
24 |
512 |
|
Co. Kilkenny |
18 |
40 |
57 |
75 |
10 |
200 |
|
Co. Laois |
18 |
23 |
45 |
86 |
16 |
188 |
|
Co. Leitrim |
17 |
25 |
51 |
57 |
4 |
154 |
|
Co. Limerick |
15 |
43 |
143 |
160 |
23 |
384 |
|
Co. Longford |
11 |
16 |
48 |
47 |
4 |
126 |
|
Co. Louth |
23 |
58 |
57 |
117 |
25 |
280 |
|
Co. Mayo |
69 |
67 |
155 |
242 |
25 |
558 |
|
Co. Meath |
53 |
95 |
183 |
277 |
30 |
638 |
|
Co. Monaghan |
14 |
24 |
38 |
106 |
12 |
194 |
|
Co. Offaly |
37 |
37 |
75 |
114 |
14 |
277 |
|
Co. Roscommon |
38 |
45 |
93 |
111 |
5 |
292 |
|
Co. Sligo |
30 |
32 |
51 |
100 |
11 |
224 |
|
Co. Tipperary |
22 |
42 |
129 |
182 |
19 |
394 |
|
Co. Waterford |
49 |
73 |
128 |
161 |
8 |
419 |
|
Co. Westmeath |
32 |
46 |
125 |
109 |
8 |
320 |
|
Co. Wexford |
72 |
119 |
140 |
145 |
25 |
501 |
|
Co. Wicklow |
33 |
57 |
117 |
215 |
38 |
460 |
|
Total |
1,473 |
2,398 |
4,438 |
5,898 |
748 |
14,955 |
