Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 394: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of households accessing the better energy: homes scheme; and the average grant paid for each of the past four years. [7867/12]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 395: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of direct and indirect jobs created and sustained by investment in the better energy: homes scheme for each of the past four years. [7868/12]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 396: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his assessment of the recent changes to the better energy: homes scheme grants scheme has in terms of the take up of grants and jobs sustained. [7869/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 to 396, inclusive, together.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers Better Energy on behalf of my Department. As announced in the context of the Budget, the Government has committed significant funding of €76 million to the Better Energy Programme this year. The scheme was launched in March 2009 and since then has paid out over €123m supporting 285,000 measures in approximately 116,000 homes. The Programme will continue to sustain economic activity in 2012, supporting at least 4,500 jobs and realising anticipated energy savings of 340GWh.

Better Energy: Homes is a demand-led programme open to all homeowners of dwellings built before 2006. The funding provision for 2012 allows for a similar number of transactions as in 2011. The final number of homes upgraded this year will however depend on the number of applications received from homeowners and the nature of the measures applied for. Homeowners can apply for any number of measures so long as the minimum grant amount of €400 for the first application is met. Number of homes completed and average grant levels are as laid out as follows:

The estimated number of jobs supported in this labour intensive market since the launch of the scheme in 2009, are summarised as follows:

The scheme uptake and performance is monitored continuously relative to the objectives set out above and the efficient utilisation of exchequer monies. The recent grant amount changes followed a review of the actual costs incurred by homeowners on the various house types and reflect increased cost competitiveness in this maturing market. It would not be possible to fully assess any impact to demand or jobs as a result of the Budget adjustments, as it is still too soon after the changes to make such a judgement.