Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of qualified applications under the warmer homes grant scheme that are awaiting completion installation; the number of contractors that are assigned or designated to the scheme; if he is satisfied with the waiting time and list; his plans to overcome the concerns being expressed by many of the applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1767/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Better Energy: Warmer Homes delivers a range of energy efficiency measures to households that are vulnerable to energy poverty with a total of 20,388 being addressed in 2011. The scheme is managed on behalf of my Department by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and delivered through a range of Community Based Organisations (CBOs), augmented by a panel of private contractors in order to ensure national coverage. The SEAI had 28 CBOs and 20 contractors operational on the scheme in 2011. It is anticipated that a similar number of CBOs and contractors will be active in 2012.

SEAI advise that there are a total of 8,833 homes on the national waiting list as of 4 January 2012. Service delivery plans, within the available 2012 budget, are currently being finalised. Households on the waiting list on 31 December 2011 will be retrofitted according to their position on the waiting list.

2012 will mark a shift in emphasis on the Better Energy: Warmer Homes scheme to take account of the Government's Affordable Energy Strategy, which I launched last November. Heretofore, applicants were considered eligible for retrofit measures if they met defined criteria, such as eligibility for the National Fuel Scheme. All successful applicants were placed on a waiting list and addressed in rotation. The focus in 2012 will shift to addressing those households considered in extreme energy poverty as a priority; such households typically spend over 20% of their disposable income on energy services. This will ensure that those most in need receive the benefit of energy efficiency measures first.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason a person (details supplied) in County Longford who was approved for participation in the better energy homes schemes by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, has not had payment made to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1843/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the Better Energy Programme, on behalf of my Department. The Scheme has paid out €119,057 million for the installation of 274,184 measures in 110,254 homes. All applicants are required to undertake complete works in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. In accepting the grant offer the applicant accepts all conditions of the scheme indicating those set out in the Application Guide.

SEAI advise that homes of mixed construction types require different solutions in order to ensure the property is insulated to the optimum level. Where this is the case, applicants will only be eligible for a Better Energy Homes grant for the measure addressing the majority area of the property. Partial solutions are only acceptable by SEAI in exceptional cases where it is not "physically or economically possible" to provide a whole-element solution. The idea of internally dry-lining all exposed walls in a particular dwelling may become economically unviable where for example it would require kitchen units to be removed. SEAI require that justification for these exceptional partial solutions must be given in the Declaration of Works.

Queries in relation to individual applications are an operational matter for the SEAI and a dedicated hot line can be reached at 1800 250 204. In addition, the SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members, which can be sent to oireachtas@seai.ie and will be dealt with promptly.