Dáil debates

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Departmental Schemes

11:55 am

Photo of Pa DalyPa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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114. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress in meeting the 2030 retrofitting and heat pump targets; the measures his Department taking to accelerate this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30274/25]

Photo of Pa DalyPa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister to outline the progress made towards meeting the 2030 retrofitting and heat pump targets. Similarly to the EU targets, these measures seem to be out of reach for many people who are of limited means. What measures are his Department taking to accelerate this?

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I will be really quick because I will supply the Deputy with the written answer, but I should have said earlier that I have tasked the SEAI with looking at options with its grants. I do not mean increasing the amount of grants but seeing how we can break them down and make them more accessible. I am also doing that with electric vehicles and looking at options for low- to middle-income families, including scrappage and seeing whether there is anything we can do in rural parts. The heat pumps seem to have plateaued in relation to delivery last year, though not on new homes. They have been extremely successful on new homes. The retrofitting and installation of heat pumps can be extremely invasive for householders as well. The technology is not there yet with plug-in heat pumps, so unless there is a very deep retrofit on the home, people do not opt for them. I have asked the SEAI to come up with certain options for that on how we might be able to break down our grants with respect to what levels of work one needs to do. I have received a report on that and I am assessing it. I will bring forward options, including, most importantly, perhaps new options, for householders over the coming months.

Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie.

Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.