Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has entered into negotiations with the Department of Finance with regard to the possible future provision of capital grants from the State for the introduction of energy efficient technologies such as solar panels, geothermal heating systems or woodchip boilers in homes here; and if any other support mechanisms for such technologies are being considered. [19916/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, which was established as a statutory agency in May 2002, implements a wide variety of programmes on energy efficiency and renewable energy on behalf of my Department.

Under SEI's House of Tomorrow Research, Development and Demonstration Programme, HOT, financial support is directed at encouraging developers of housing, both new-build and refurbishment, to incorporate design and technology features, which deliver significantly superior energy and CO2 performance. By targeting developers of schemes of houses, from the private or social housing sectors, the aim has been to establish over a number of years a nationwide network of accessible examples of more sustainable energy design and technology practices.

With the accompaniment of other promotional measures by SEI, this is intended to encourage a sufficient degree of market replication, without subsidy, to elevate energy performance standards across the wider housing stock. This targeted approach is also designed to be an administratively efficient method for deployment of public moneys.

To date the programme has committed over €7.5 million funding to 39 projects comprising a total 1,818 housing units, all featuring an integrated approach to energy supply and use that achieves performance of at least 20% better than current building regulations and in fact, in the majority of projects, 40% better. The range of sustainable energy technologies employed within these demonstration projects includes the following: condensing boilers in 1,236 homes; solar water heating in 344 homes; heat recovery ventilation in 176 homes; geothermal heating systems in 143 homes; and wood pellet boilers in 93 homes.

Funding for SEI is determined on an annual basis. SEI submits a proposed work programme for the coming year along with a budget for each of its programmes, such as the House of Tomorrow programme, to my Department. Any increase in funding required for these programmes would have budgetary implications and could only be considered in the light of the overall budgetary requirements of SEI and the level of funding available to my Department.