Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 498: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider establishing a home retrofit loan scheme with a view to creating a major source of employment and substantially reducing energy costs and C02 emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21134/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Programme for Government provides a commitment to roll out a Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS) retrofit scheme after 2013. This is anticipated to replace the existing grant supports in this area, for which the 2011 capital allocation is €91.4m. To date under Better Energy: Homes, efficiency upgrades have been completed in 33,559 homes this year and over 96,000 homes since the programme commenced in 2009. In total, the estimated energy savings achieved are 529 GWh or €33.14 million.

PAYS is an innovative financing mechanism that will allow consumers to finance upgrades directly through the energy savings generated. My Department has convened a project team to undertake preliminary analysis of what a PAYS model could look like with a view to submitting an initial report to me in October. I expect to be in a position to bring proposals to Government soon after.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 499: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his proposals, in conjunction with his Government colleagues, to reduce the cost of energy to businesses here. [21069/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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There are a number of significant programmes in place to improve Energy Efficiency for businesses and thereby help reduce energy costs. The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) sets out 90 actions which are already underway, or will be taken in the period to 2020, to achieve the national energy efficiency target. The Government has set a target of 20% across all areas of the economy, including the business sector. The savings identified in the Action Plan represent approximately €1.6 billion in avoided energy costs for the economy in 2020.

The SEAI Energy in Business Programme supports efforts by business to improve energy efficiency and competitiveness through structured energy management now involves the 150 largest business energy users and 2,000 small businesses. In 2010, large companies involved in the Energy in Business Programme identified savings of 600 GWh worth approximately €17 million while SMEs saved 130 GWh, worth €7 million.

The Large Industry Energy Network (LIEN) is a networking and information programme for 150 of the largest energy users. Energy spend across the LIEN is approximately €900 million and accounts for approximately 70% of industrial energy usage and for more than 10% of national primary energy usage. LIEN members share information on energy-saving technologies and techniques to maximise savings and maintain competitiveness. The Energy Agreements Programme supports large industry to implement an energy-management system through the EN 16001 standard.

Under Better Energy: Workplaces, €11.5 million was made available for implementing a wide range of qualifying sustainable energy upgrading projects in the public, commercial, industrial and community sectors, which serve as exemplar projects for the public sector and for business.

Such projects may comprise individual or packaged measures aimed at achieving lasting savings in energy usage for thermal, electrical or transport purposes. The main focus of the support will be on achieving delivery in 2011 of sustainable energy (mainly energy efficiency) investment projects of differing sizes and complexities. Similar projects in 2009 and 2010 had a spend of €5.9 million and €7.8 million respectively, with annual savings of 63GWh