Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Officials in my Department met with representatives of the social enterprise referred to in the question. I welcome the trial, which I understand is in co-operation with Clúid Housing, and I look forward to seeing the results. The Government is acutely aware of the impact the recent increases in global energy prices is having on households. A €2.4 billion package of supports was implemented last year and a package of once-off measures worth €2.5 billion was included in the recent budget. This included a new electricity cost emergency benefit scheme and an extensive range of social protection measures to support people with the increased cost of living.

The national retrofit plan, as I said earlier, sets out how the Government will achieve its targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a building energy rating, BER, of B2 by 2030. This will improve the energy efficiency and reduce energy waste in these homes. To support the plan, the budget also provided for the following: €337 million for home energy upgrades next year, including free upgrades for 6,000 homeowners at risk of energy poverty; a continuation of the 80% grant rate we talked about earlier; and €87 million to be spent in respect of an energy efficiency programme for social housing.

A new action plan to combat energy poverty will set out all the measures being implemented ahead of the coming winter, as well as key longer-term measures to ensure that those least able to afford increased energy costs are supported and protected.

That new plan will be published in the coming weeks.

On EnergyCloud, I am not directly familiar with the project but it uses online data-sharing systems to enhance energy efficiency. Those efficiency gains can be used, if I understand correctly, to provide for those energy services for other households and that technology-based digital and clean-energy energy-efficiency revolution. The concept is exactly the sort of project that I believe has a future. I do not have the specific details of the company but my officials tell me that it seems to be an interesting prospect and we are supportive of the concept. We look forward to the results of the trial.

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