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

As the Deputy said, the climate action plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a building energy rating of B2 on a cost-optimal basis and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older and less efficient heating systems by the end of this decade.

The national retrofit plan sets out the Government's approach to delivering on these targets. Output is really ramping up under the plan, reaching 27,200 houses in 2022 and 47,950 in 2023. One of the key principles underpinning the retrofit plan is fairness. We need to ensure fairness to all and support a just transition. For that reason, the warmer homes scheme is a key priority in the Government's package of supports for retrofit. The warmer homes scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to households vulnerable to energy poverty.

Increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit and significant improvements to the upgrades provided under the warmer homes scheme has, as the Deputy said, resulted in increased levels of demand for the scheme. Approximately 24,000 applications were received by the SEAI in 2022 and 2023.

Recent years have seen significant increases in the budget allocations for the scheme. Expenditure on it stood at just under €40 million in 2019, the year before this Government came to office. Last year saw the highest ever spend under the scheme, with almost €158 million, 49% of the overall spend, delivering approximately 5,900 fully funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty. The average waiting time from application to completion decreased from 26 months in 2022 to 20 months last year.

In order to help ensure further growth in delivery, the budget for the scheme has been increased to nearly €210 million this year. This includes funding from the European regional development fund. My officials continue to work with the SEAI to maximise and accelerate the output of free energy upgrades provided under the scheme.

See this speech in context