Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt the better energy warmer homes scheme is an important support for many eligible homeowners. It is one of the key tools that will help to reduce the use of carbon in our economy and help us reach our climate action goals. Since 2000, more than 143,000 homes have availed of the scheme and, in some ways, it has been a victim of its own success. When it was first promoted over a decade ago, many people who were eligible availed of the scheme but benefited from very basic upgrades, such as attic insulation. A decade later and with improved technology, these homeowners, many of whom are over 70 and on fuel allowance, wish to avail of other interventions, such as wraparound external insulation. The bad news is that they are being rejected by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, as they are deemed to have previously availed of the scheme, even though those availing of the scheme for the first time this year will receive a far greater intervention.

I am aware of the changes that were made to the scheme last month as part of the Government's wider announcement in this area and I received a parliamentary question reply from the Department confirming that a second application may be possible. It stated very clearly that applications may be accepted from qualifying homeowners who were previously in receipt of support under the scheme but who could still benefit from deeper upgrade measures. This means homeowners will not be precluded from applying for the second time for qualifying works not previously carried out on their properties. It seems clear but when the SEAI is contacted and these people apply again, they are in fact precluded and their application is rejected. Have the recent changes been embedded yet with the SEAI? Is every person who applies for the scheme for a second time able to avail of the scheme and what are the qualifying criteria? Equally, there have been calls for the application process to be brought online to make it speedier.

As the Minister of State knows, in order to qualify for the better energy warmer homes scheme, there are very strict criteria linked to certain social welfare payments. I think we can both agree there is a serious risk of fuel poverty for people who are availing of this scheme and for those who are on the other side of an arbitrary threshold. Along with the increasing demand for better interventions, there are also more than 7,000 homes waiting for works under this scheme. Will the Minister of State outline how the Government hopes to break down the backlog that has grown during the pandemic and how he and the Minister, Deputy Harris, are addressing the skills shortage in this area? There has been a steady decline in the number of homes being completed through this scheme in Dublin in the past five years, from 1,598 in 2017 to just 693 last year. Are there plans to increase numbers in what is a very beneficial scheme that has generated much demand?

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