Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the timeframe for the energy affordability strategy; the form that 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 in 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16637/10]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to develop a national fuel poverty strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15455/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 100 together.

I am working closely with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to ensure a fully cohesive approach to energy affordability. The Inter-Departmental/Agency Group on Affordable Energy was established in the summer of 2008 to coordinate the cross-Government and cross-industry work in this area. This Group is jointly chaired by the Departments of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and Social Protection, and includes the Departments of An Taoiseach, Finance, Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and Health and Children, along with the Commission for Energy Regulation, Sustainable Energy Ireland Authority of Ireland, Institute of Public Health, ESB, Bord Gáis Éireann and, more recently, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Work is under way, led by my Department and the Department of Social Protection, on the Energy Affordability Strategy. The Strategy will set out actions under way and proposed further actions to protect vulnerable households with a view to ensuring that existing and future measures are targeted at households where the risk of energy poverty is greatest. A public consultation process was launched in March this year seeking the views of interested parties on all dimensions of energy affordability by 23 April. Informed by the consultation process, the Strategy will be finalised and submitted to Government in June.

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 and, to date this year, the WHS has been delivered to 4,096 homes. The target for the Warmer Homes Scheme is 22,500 homes in 2010. We are confident of achieving this level.

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 the Society of 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.