Ms Ruth Buggie:

Within the 655 SECs in the learn group, as many as 202 have gone on to the plan stage and of those approximately 80 have gone on to the "do" stage. We have a further 11 that are within the RESS that seek support and a further 75 that have expressed an interest in developing a renewable energy project. Certainly the "do" stage is the most challenging. The bar to enter the network is very low. It is a sharing and learning peer network for communities to find out what other communities are doing and some may never progress. This is very much a way of supporting communities at their own pace. We do not put a timeline on them having to move to another stage and it is self-determined but fully recognise that challenge of the "do" stage. The challenge for us is building a pathway for communities into all SEAI programmes. While the CEG is the most obviously for communities some are interested in, say, the support scheme for renewable heat or the Excellence in Energy Efficiency Design, EXEED, programme. It is finding ways for communities to participate in their own way. There are challenges around how grants are structured and seek co-finance. Up until recently we did not have a multi-annual framework so there is a very tight timeline for them to deliver. Typically, if this is the first time that they have ran a project then it can take longer so it did not fit in that. All of these changes have made it an awful lot easier for communities. We continue to work on programmes and recognise that the challenge for the programme is to get communities doing. They want to and we want them to so it is just how we can help them more.