Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an annual breakdown of the €350 million this and previous Governments have invested of Exchequer funding in energy efficiency programmes in the domestic and non-domestic sectors; if he will provide a net figure for the leveraged additional spend in the economy of more than €250 million he referred to in his address to the Construction Industry Federation presentation on 21 march 2013 setting the increase in energy prices over the same period for the domestic and non-domestic sectors. [15718/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Better Energy Programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The Programme has disbursed Exchequer funding in respect of the Better Energy: Homes, Better Energy: Warmer Homes, Better Energy: Workplaces and Better Energy: Communities Schemes, over the past number of years.

I should clarify that at the recent CIF conference on 21 March 2013 I mentioned that “the Government has invested €250 million in Exchequer funding in energy efficiency programmes in the domestic and non-domestic sectors over the past few years leveraging additional spend in the economy of more than €250 million”.

The table below sets out Exchequer funding for the period 2010 to date. It should be noted that the amount of additional monies leveraged by Exchequer investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes is inherently difficult to estimate but the table below represents the most recent analysis by the SEAI.

Programme Expenditure and Funds Leveraged (2010 to date)

With regard to price setting by electricity suppliers, this is a commercial and operational matter for the companies operating in the retail market, overseen by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). I am therefore not in the position to provide analysis regarding the impact, if any, of the rise in energy prices on the net amount leveraged under the Better Energy Programme over the last few years. My focus within my Department is on those elements of energy costs over which policy can exercise some control. I will continue to work towards long term policy responses for Ireland to combat vulnerability to high and volatile gas prices through promoting policy for increased use of renewables, better energy efficiencies and reducing the reliance on gas in the fuel mix.