Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will introduce schemes to encourage the carrying out of energy efficiency audits on older housing stock, or for energy efficient retrofitting of houses with low energy efficiency performance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3114/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Home Energy Savings Scheme operated on a pilot basis in 2008 and provided grants towards the cost of retrofitting energy efficiency improvement measures in older housing. I intend to announce the details of a national roll-out of the scheme shortly.

For households on low incomes, such as those in receipt of fuel allowance, invalidity or disability benefit, the Warmer Homes Scheme can also assist with retrofitting of energy efficiency improvement measures. This scheme arranges for the installation of measures free or at a nominal cost to the householder. The service is delivered principally through community based organisations. There are 20 such groups currently approved by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). Applications for assistance under this Scheme should be made via the relevant community organisation, details of which can be found under the grants section of SEI's website (www.sei.ie/grants).

Ireland's Building Energy Rating (BER) scheme is recognised by the EU Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive as an energy audit scheme. Since 1 January 2009, any person selling or leasing a house is obliged to have a BER assessment of the house carried out and present the BER certificate to any prospective buyer or tenant. However, any other person is also free to contract a BER assessor to rate the energy performance of their home and will benefit from the accompanying Advisory Report, which will assist them in identifying the investments they could make to lower their energy costs and reduce their carbon emissions.