Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide grants to persons that wish to update their heating systems in their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5897/10]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 321: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of grants allocated under the warmer homes scheme and the warmer homes scheme plus; the amount of funding provided under these grants; the plans to extend this grant; if funding for this grant will be continued in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5898/10]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of grants allocated under the home energy saving scheme; the amount of funding allocated under these grants; his plans to extend this grant; if funding will be continued during 2010 for this grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5901/10]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 323: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of grants allocated to County Kildare under the warmer home scheme, the warmer home plus scheme and the home energy saving scheme; the amount of funding under the three schemes that will be allocated to County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5902/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 to 323, inclusive, together.

Financial supports are available to homeowners under two schemes funded by my Department for people who wish to update the heating systems in their homes.

For households on low incomes such as those in receipt of fuel allowance, invalidity or disability benefit, the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS) managed by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will install cavity wall insulation, attic insulation, a boiler lagging jacket, draught proofing measures and CFLs. Advice is also provided to householders on minimising energy use. These measures are provided free or at a token cost. Private contractors under the Warmer Homes Scheme Plus were also engaged in 2009 to provide increased interventions such as central heating and internal drying insulation.

Through these mechanisms, the WHS was delivered to 16,240 homes in 2009 which includes 3,571 under the WHS Plus. A further 2,886 homes received the ESB's Home Insulation Scheme. Some €20 million was provided for the scheme in 2009 including a contribution of €5 million from ESB and BGE. This enabled energy efficiency improvements to be made to over 19,000 vulnerable homes at a cost of €14.518 million in 2009.

Householders can also avail of grants of up to 40% of the cost of energy efficiency improvement measures under the Government's Home Energy Saving Scheme (HES). This Scheme, which is administered by SEI, provides grant assistance to homeowners for retrofit energy efficiency measures such as attic and wall insulation, very high-efficiency boilers, heating controls and Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments.

The HES was allocated €49 million in 2009. The Scheme attracted 40,724 applications by the end of the year of which 36,454 were approved for grant aid. In 2009, SEI paid out €16.26 million to improve the energy efficiency of 18,183 homes.

Funding is allocated to both HES and WHS on a national basis. SEI informs me that a total of 81 households in County Kildare had services provided to them under the WHS in 2009; 825 households under the Warmer Homes Scheme Plus and 669 under the Home Energy Savings Scheme.

Funding in 2010 of €13 million for the WHS and €29.5m for the HES was announced on Budget Day together with €50m for the National Energy Retrofit Programme.

This Programme will further reduce energy costs and carbon emissions in homes and business while also creating employment and developing a sustainable market for energy services in Ireland. The detailed design and specification of the new programme is being finalised by my Department and SEI. The Programme will be the subject of a public consultation in the near future. In broad terms the Retrofit Programme will bring together the HES and the WHS as well as support programmes for business and the public sector. It will also involve the development and promotion of energy services by the energy companies.

This new Programme has the potential to be the most innovative, ambitious, energy-related initiative ever introduced in Ireland. It will significantly reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to meeting the national efficiency targets including the target of 33% set for the public sector. It will also create significant employment in the energy and construction sectors in support of economic renewal.

It is important to stress that pending the introduction of the Retrofit Programme, the HES and the WHS are fully open for business in 2010.