Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The National Energy Retrofit Programme announced on Budget Day in 2010 has the objective of reducing energy costs and carbon emissions in homes and businesses, whilst creating jobs and developing a sustainable market for energy improvement measures and services.

The detailed design and specification of the new programme is currently being developed by my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and decisions will be made in relation to funding for 2011 in context of Estimates. I will be bringing the detailed proposals for the programme to Government shortly. The programme envisages the involvement of energy supply and distribution companies, energy services providers, construction workers, energy auditors, BER Assessors and policymakers, working together to deliver very high levels of energy savings, energy cost reductions and ultimately smaller carbon footprints for energy customers throughout the country.

Of the €90 million allocated to my Department's energy efficiency programmes in 2010, some €30 million has been expended to date. In the domestic sector, this has resulted in energy efficiency improvements to 32,000 homes by the end of June. Support for energy saving initiatives in the business and public sector continues apace, with the launch last month of a €10m fund that is supporting exemplar projects in 2010.