Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am advised that officials from the Sustainable Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have met with representatives of the various industry associations in connection with the Better Energy programme. The involvement of the energy suppliers in the retrofit market is under development. At present, only one energy supplier is processing grant applications on behalf of customers. This is being undertaken on a trial basis in order to inform the design of an appropriate industry wide solution, in the context of replacing the current grant scheme with an up-front discount. The number of applications processed to date through the trial mechanism represents less than 1% of total heating related applications received. The vast majority of work and resultant employment arising from the Exchequer funding provided to the Better Energy Programme is being undertaken by the private sector. SEAI will continue to engage with the industry representatives as the Programme continues to evolve.