Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 May 2024
74. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what measures are being taken to reduce the SEAI wait times which are currently in excess of 24-months; if consideration has been given to prioritising applications where an SEAI home upgrade would benefit a person’s health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21562/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates the Warmer Homes Scheme on behalf of my Department. Delivering free energy upgrades to low-income households and reducing the waiting times for the Warmer Homes Scheme is a top priority for my Department and the SEAI.
Last year saw a record spend of €158 million under the Scheme and there is a further increased allocation of almost €210 million in place for 2024, including funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Applications to the Scheme are assessed on the basis of when they first apply to SEAI. Homes with the worst Building Energy Ratings (E, F or G) are then prioritised for works. No other prioritisation takes place under the scheme.
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. 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 were achieved through, inter alia, the following actions:
• 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.
My Department continues to work with the SEAI to reduce the timeline to completion and increase output under the scheme.
