Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1452: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if each application for a scheme (details supplied) is checked individually to see that it is compliant with the law. [1851/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1453: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of funding that was put in place for a scheme (details supplied) in 2007; and the amount of this money that was used. [1852/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1454: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of people who availed of a scheme (details supplied) in 2007. [1853/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1455: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was refused grant-aid in view of the fact that this person had everything in order, their application was in on time and they desperately need this grant-aid, they are entitled to it and had believed they were going to get it. [1854/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1452 to 1455, inclusive, together.

The House of Tomorrow, as with all of Sustainable Energy Ireland's (SEI) grant programmes, involves the disbursement of Exchequer funding to private sector clients for the installation and/or demonstration of a variety of different sustainable energy technologies and solutions. In all SEI programmes the particular qualifying criteria are specified in the application guide and forms. Where commercial companies are involved, such as with the House of Tomorrow programme, SEI verifies that the grant recipient has a valid tax clearance certificate, both at the time of application and at the time of any grant payment.

The Application Guide for the House of Tomorrow programme also includes the provision that the goals and requirements of the Programme do not supersede existing Building Regulations and planning requirements. Where some aspects of energy efficient design might challenge prevailing building standards, applicants are encouraged to make reference to the Department of the Environment, Heritage, and Local Government's Social Housing Design Guidelines.

In 2007, the allocation within SEI's capital budget for the House of Tomorrow programme was €8m. This was to allow for the discharge of grant payments maturing under this programme. This budget was fully spent by end 2007. SEI made payments in 2007 to 68 approved grantees. In 2007, SEI also approved grants for, and issued letters of offer to, a total of 34 new projects under the programme.

The House of Tomorrow programme opened in 2001 and by July 2007 had committed grants to housing developments comprising around 6,000 units. The programme closed for applications in June, arising from the Government's announcement of the proposed revision of Part L of the Building Regulations to require energy and CO2 performance levels in new homes similar to those which had been demonstrated as achievable through the House of Tomorrow programme. These levels are some 40% higher than the current regulations require. The proposed revisions to the regulations, together with these new performance requirements, were published in September for consultation by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

In light of these developments it was decided to discontinue grant aid for new projects in respect of standards that are intended to be made mandatory. The strong interest in the House of Tomorrow programme in the period prior to the closure meant that there was a large number of grant applications still being processed. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, has also committed to reviewing the regulations in 2010 to achieve 60% above current levels, with the ultimate aim of achieving a zero carbon standard for new houses in the medium to long term.

Given the proposed revisions of the regulations, the grant applications in hand under the House of Tomorrow Programme were subject to detailed review to establish whether, on the basis of possible achievement of such a 60% performance level, support could be warranted. Any applicant who has not qualified for funding under the Programme would have received an explanatory letter outlining the reasons from SEI.