Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the full extent of financial assistance available for installation or conversion purposes in respect of houses with low insulation or energy conservation ability; the full extent of such payments to date, those pending or required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6629/06]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when the announcement of the multi-annual domestic energy package to support renewable energy as allocated by the Department of Finance can be expected; if he intends including domestic level wind energy turbines within the forthcoming package. [6747/06]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his proposals for conservation measures in the area of domestic heating costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6600/06]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 321: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to provide grant aid for people buying stoves for burning wood chips, installing solar panels, installing geothermal heating systems and for other sources of renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6531/06]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 328: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he will roll out the promised grants for householders with regard to the €65 million made available in budget 2006 for renewable energy schemes; the details of such grants; and if certain projects will be given greater priority. [6457/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the full extent of financial assistance available for installation or conversion purposes in respect of houses with low insulation or energy conservation ability; the full extent of such payments to date, those pending or required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7120/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 156, 160, 321, 328 and 380 together.

The multi-annual financial package for renewable energy announced in budget 2006 includes a grant aid package for the domestic sector, which will provide for individual grants to install renewable energy technologies including wood pellet boilers, solar panels and geothermal heat pumps. All the technologies are being given equal priority as one comprehensive scheme. The scheme is aimed primarily at the renewable heat sector, rather than electricity generation projects such as turbines.

My Department, in conjunction with Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, is developing the necessary detailed measures to roll out the new programme, which will be announced shortly. Under the SEI House of Tomorrow research, development and demonstration programme, financial support is already 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. A total of €5 million was expended on research and development, international collaboration and public good research to December 2005 with outstanding commitments of €10.5 million. To date, 55 housing demonstration projects and 2,650 have benefited from this programme. The technologies installed include: condensing oil and gas boilers, 1,984 homes; solar water heating, 687 homes; heat recovery ventilation, 633 homes; ground source heat pumps, 392 homes; and wood pellet boilers, 344 homes.

SEI also runs a low income housing programme to assist with the establishment of a national plan of action to address the issue of fuel poverty in low-income households in Ireland. This provides the context for co-ordinated action to ensure such households have access to adequate cost effective heating and hot water, and energy efficient lighting and appliances. A total of €3.6 million has been expended on over 8,000 homes since the programme commenced. There are eight operational community based organisations that actively completed homes in 2005. An additional four groups were approved in December 2005 and they are currently recruiting staff and undergoing training. It was announced in the budget that an additional €2 million is to be made available under the low income housing programme to tackle fuel poverty.