Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the timeframe for the energy affordability strategy; the form this strategy will take; the way he plans to address the problem of fuel poverty here; the number of homes that were part of the warmer homes scheme for 2008 and 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10113/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Government is committed to mitigating energy costs for vulnerable households through a combination of institutional supports, investment in improving the energy efficiency of the housing stock and the wide availability of advice.

I am working closely with the Ministers for Social and Family Affairs and Environment, Heritage and Local Government to continue to deliver a fully cohesive Government response to the challenges of addressing energy affordability in Ireland in line with the commitment in the Renewed Programme for Government. The Energy Affordability Strategy is being prepared under the auspices of the Interdepartmental/Agency Group and will be subject of public consultation shortly. It will set out existing strategies and measures and future approaches to addressing energy affordability in a cohesive way.

Enhancing the energy efficiency of homes through structural improvements is pivotal to the Government's strategy to address energy affordability. To date, energy efficiency improvements in nearly 40,000 homes have been made under the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS), of which 5,343 homes were completed in 2008 and 19,000 in 2009 (including nearly 3,000 homes delivered by the ESB according to WHS specification). Some €15 million was provided for the scheme in 2009, with a further €5 million provided by ESB and BGE. Of the €15 million Exchequer allocation €12.4m was spent under the scheme last year. Funding of €13m has been provided to the scheme in 2010. The WHS will be further enhanced under the National Energy Retrofit Programme which was announced on Budget Day.

The WHS provides energy efficiency improvements to homes in, or at risk of, fuel poverty and is primarily delivered by community based organisations (CBOs) of which 22 have, to date, been approved to provide this service. The CBOs work in partnership with their local network of poverty and community support organisations including public health nurses, MABS and St. Vincent De Paul to identify and address vulnerable homes. Private contractors were also engaged in 2009 to address the increasing demand for the scheme.