Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Under the climate action plan, the retrofit target for local authority owned homes is to retrofit 36,500 to BER B2 or cost optimal equivalent by 2030. As part of this new scheme over the period 2021 to 2023, 5,766 local authority homes have been retrofitted to B2 cost optimal equivalent. Furthermore, retrofit works were completed on over 74,000 local authority-owned dwelling since 2013 to the end of 2021 under the previous scheme.

As a result of the advanced performance requirements of building regulations, it is estimated that approximately 40,000 local authority dwellings have been constructed to a typical A or B rating since 2008. Taking account of new housing delivered by local authorities and the energy efficiency retrofit programme, it is expected that approximately 70% of local authority housing will have a typical BER of A or B by 2030.

In line with Government and EU policy, an efficiency first approach is adopted for local authority retrofit programmes. Fabric measures and efficient renewable heat pumps systems are supported by the energy efficiency retrofit programme to achieve a BER of B2 or cost optimal level. Fossil fuel boilers are not supported by the energy efficiency retrofit programme and have been effectively phased out in new dwellings.

My Department does provide funding for PV panels in limited circumstances. Furthermore, the draft energy performance building directive recently agreed by the EU institutions requires that in their national building renovation plans, member states shall include policies and measures with regard to the deployment of suitable solar energy installations on all buildings. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and our own Department are commencing work on the transposition of this directive in the coming months.

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