Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I was trying to familiarise myself with Noonan Road earlier, although I am fairly familiar with Cork city.

Our Department launched the energy efficiency retrofitting programme in 2013 with the aim of funding the retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013, more than 73,500 units of social housing stock have been retrofitted with a total Exchequer spend of €161 million under the scheme. This Government revised the energy efficiency programme in 2021 and increased the budget for it to €65 million. The programme focuses on ensuring that the fabric of the home is upgraded and that an energy efficient heating system is provided. This revised ten-year programme will see a significant upscaling of deeper retrofit on what has been completed by local authorities in previous years. Budget 2022 will see an increased allocation of €85 million being made available, which will see approximately 2,400 homes upgraded to a building energy rating of B2 or the cost-optimal equivalent under the programme.

From 2013 to 2020, Cork City Council received funding in the amount of €21 million in respect of retrofitting works for more than 7,000 units. Cork City Council received additional funding under my Department's voids programme from 2014 to 2019 in the amount of €3.3 million. In November 2019, my Department approved funding in the amount of €90,534 to install energy and environmental monitoring equipment at eight apartments at Noonan Road. A claim received on foot of this approval has been fully paid by the Department. In July of this year, my Department received a submission from Cork City Council under the energy efficiency programme seeking funding of over €4 million for 68 apartments at Noonan Road. My Department sought clarifications on various aspects of the submission and is currently awaiting a response from Cork City Council. A decision on the funding request cannot progress until Cork City Council reverts with the information required by my Department. To date, Cork City Council has received funding approval for €9.8 million for the retrofit of 210 apartments under the energy efficiency programme. To date, 156 apartments have been completed and funding of €7.2 million recouped by Cork City Council.

My Department welcomes the efforts made by all local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of housing stock under their control. Since 2013 local authorities have drawn down in excess of €160 million under the energy efficiency programmes. Under the 2021 energy efficiency programme, Cork City Council was allocated funding in the amount of €3.3 million for 123 units. Unfortunately, none of these units will be delivered this year but we look forward to their early completion in 2022.

My Department has provided support to all local authorities this year in achieving targets agreed under the 2021 energy efficiency retrofit programme. In addition to direct grant funding, significant project management resourcing was provided to each individual local authority so that it could put in place dedicated administrative and technical supports to help it drive the energy efficiency programme. This is the responsibility of local authorities and within their competencies. My Department acknowledges the difficult environment within which local authorities have had to work in 2021 with a construction shutdown and supply chain problems impacting on delivery. We look forward to significantly improved output under this programme in 2022 and to the advancement of the retrofit works at Noonan Road.

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