Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage of the budget allocation for the home energy savings scheme 2010 that has been spent to date. [23088/10]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the numbers on waiting lists for the home energy saving scheme and the warmer homes scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23047/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 33 and 68 together.

The Home Energy Saving scheme (HES), which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), has a capital budget allocation of €24.3 million this year. In addition, a further €46 million has been allocated to a national retrofit programme, with a substantial portion assigned to HES. In total expenditure of €21.3 million has been incurred to date this year in respect of HES. In light of the fact that the specific HES capital allocation is 24.3 million, it is expected that at present rates of expenditure the HES allocation will be spent in full and the programme will continue by drawing down from the related RETROFIT allocation.

New applications are being received at a rate of more than €1 million per week. Experience on this and other schemes shows that not all homeowners approved for a grant will proceed with works. Given the high trend of approved and new applications, I expect that most if not all of the available funds will be drawn down this year. The rate of funding commitment and expenditure to date this year is a strong endorsement of the Scheme and the level of interest among homeowners.

There is no waiting list for the applications under Home Energy Saving Scheme. The waiting time for the Warmer Homes Scheme is generally between 3 and 6 months. Warmer Homes is also managed by SEAI. It is delivered through a combination of 23 community based organisations (CBOs) and a panel of private contractors.

CBOs work in partnership with their local network of poverty and community support organisations. These include public health nurses, MABS and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul who work with CBOs to identify and address vulnerable homes. Each CBO is responsible for managing the applications in its own operational area.

The CBOs are in a process of adjusting to the rapidly increasing scale of the Warmer Homes scheme. Between 2000 and 2008, a total of 20,881 homes were upgraded under the scheme.

By contrast, 19,126 homes were upgraded in 2009 alone. I fully expect even more homes to benefit in 2010. This is a very significant increase in scale of operations over a short period of time and has required CBOs to put in place additional resources and systems necessary for delivery.

Private contractors were engaged on a pilot basis in 2009 to address the increasing demand for the scheme and in order to move quickly to nationwide coverage. This approach is being extended in 2010.

Through a combination of these two approaches, SEAI advises that the waiting times under the Warmer Homes scheme should reduce further over the course of this year. I can also advise Deputies that a dedicated hot line - 1800 250 204 – has been in operation for some time and all queries, from scheme applicants and public representatives, on delivery dates for individual households and/or funding agreements are dealt with immediately.

In addition, the programme manager for Warmer Homes, Mr. Michael Martin of the SEAI, is available to deal with queries on 042 939 1548. The availability of both points of contact is designed to ensure that there is no delay in dealing with specific queries related to the delivery of Warmer Homes.