Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of homes that have availed of the warmer homes scheme in County Meath since the commencement of the scheme; the level of funding of the warmer homes scheme in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41790/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS), which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department, provides energy efficiency improvements to homes in, or at risk of, fuel poverty and is primarily delivered by 28 community based organisations (CBOs). The CBOs work in partnership with their local network of poverty and community support organisations including public health nurses, MABS and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul to identify and address vulnerable homes. Through this devolved model, each CBO is responsible for managing the applications in their own operational areas. Private contractors are also engaged to supplement CBO coverage and capacity in order to address the increasing demand for the scheme. The SEAI is therefore not directly involved in the application process but oversees and monitors the implementation of the scheme including audit of projects.

Through these mechanisms the WHS was delivered to 16,240 homes in 2009 including 851 homes in County Meath. To date in 2010 the WHS has been delivered to 18,387 homes including 190 homes in County Meath. There is no preset amount of funding allocated to individual counties under the WHS. The Scheme is a national scheme with an overall funding envelope responding to annual budget demand which varies on a county by county basis and can also vary year on year as between counties. The budget allocation for the WHS is €29.9 million for 2010.