Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the national energy efficient retrofit programme will be launched in view of the difficulties there have been with expenditure in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16630/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Home Energy Saving (HES) Scheme, which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), was launched in March 2009. The scheme provides grant assistance to homeowners for energy efficiency retro-fitting measures including attic and wall insulation, very high-efficiency boilers, heating controls and Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments. The scheme is open to anybody owning a house that was built prior to 2006. Homeowners can expect to save up to €700 per year on their energy bills if they install the full suite of measures available under the scheme. The scheme offers grants of up to 40% of the typical cost of energy efficiency upgrade measures, depending on the measure concerned.

The scheme had attracted 40,724 applications by the end of December 2009. Some €16.26 million was paid out by SEAI by the end of the year, representing 33,434 energy efficient measures installed in 18,183 homes. The scheme allows homeowners six months, from the date of grant approval, to have the work undertaken. As a result, some monies committed in 2009 are being drawn down in 2010. This year to date, there has been a very significant increase in activity and expenditure. Some €27m million has already been paid out by SEAI since March 2009, representing almost 60,000 energy efficient measures being installed in 30,000 homes.

Funding in 2010 of €90m has been allocated to SEAI for the further expansion of its domestic, business and public sector energy efficiency schemes. A further €40m has been allocated by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to improving the energy efficiency of social housing across the country. This unprecedented level of funding will support energy efficiency improvements in over 60,000 homes and buildings, support 5,000 jobs and create energy efficiency savings worth a total of €400 million over their lifetime.

In tandem with the increased level of activity in existing programmes in 2010, detailed proposals for the new Retrofit Programme announced in the Budget are being finalised. I will be bringing these proposals to Government shortly with a view to launching the programme towards the end of the year. In broad terms the Retrofit Programme will bring together the HES and the WHS as well as support programmes for businesses and the public sector. The programme will see new initiatives involving energy supply companies, energy service providers, and the construction sector.

This new programme has the potential to be the most innovative, ambitious, energy-related initiative ever introduced in Ireland. It will significantly 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 the case that pending the finalisation and introduction of the retrofit programme, the HES and the WHS remain fully open for business in 2010.