Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to introduce grants for the insulation of houses for older persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44701/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, which is administered by local authorities, provides targeted support to improve conditions in the existing housing of older people. The types of works which may be grant aided under the Scheme are varied and may include the provision and upgrading of insulation works. In addition, older people living in local authority housing may benefit from the central heating programme introduced by my Department in July 2004. The programme assists local authorities in providing central heating facilities in their rented dwellings and, where necessary, in implementing measures to ensure the energy efficiency of the dwelling. As announced in the context of Budget 2009, an audit of the social housing stock will commence in 2009, in preparation for a programme of retrofitting to deliver improved energy efficiency standards; this programme will be informed by a number of pilot projects for which €5m has been earmarked in 2009.

Sustainable Energy Ireland, under the auspices of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, operates a Low Income Housing Programme, set up to help establish and implement a national plan of action to address the problem of fuel poverty. Core delivery is through the Warmer Homes Scheme, which aims at improving the energy efficiency and comfort conditions of homes occupied by low-income households, and at establishing the systems and growing the capacity in Ireland to install measures including attic insulation, draught proofing, lagging jackets, energy efficient lighting, and cavity wall insulation, and to provide energy advice.

Furthermore, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources launched a pilot Home Energy Saving Scheme on 24 April 2008. The scheme is designed to encourage owners of older homes to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, including through improved insulation measures. The regional pilot is designed to inform the roll-out of the full scale €100 million national scheme envisaged in the Programme for Government. The scheme will provide different incentives in each of the regional pilot areas in order to test their impact and effectiveness in encouraging householders to undertake energy efficiency investment works. The incentives will include varying levels of capital grants, advice on works required and information on banks offering reduced rate loans to scheme participants.