Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the home energy saving scheme; the number of persons that have availed of these grants; the amount of money that has been paid out for this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26466/10]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 426: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the home energy saving scheme; the number of new jobs that have been created providing homeowners with energy efficiency improvements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26467/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 425 and 426 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. Expenditure of €34.7 million has been incurred in 2009 and 2010 in respect of HES.

Over 70,800 applications have been received by the SEAI since the scheme's launch in March 2009, resulting in new commitments of approximately €1 million per week. However, experience on this and other schemes shows that not all homeowners approved for a grant will proceed with works. The SEAI estimates that approximately 4,000 jobs have been supported through the HES scheme. In addition, measures installed to date will reduce energy demand by 250GWh, in the process saving homeowners more than €16 million. 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.