Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to retro-fit social housing across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33767/13]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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95. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the work he is undertaking to improve the number of houses being retrofitted with efficient insulation in the social housing stock. [33779/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 95 together.

Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated funding each year in respect of a range of measures to improve the standard and overall quality of their social housing stock. Since the introduction of the Energy Efficiency measure in 2009 , funding of almost €100 million has been provided to local authorities for the retrofitting of older and substandard housing stock. Over that period, some 7,760 dwellings have been improved. Over the past two years there was a particular focus on vacant properties and my Department provided around €52.5 million for the refurbishment of some 4,770 houses and apartments. This year’s programme includes a retrofitting measure aimed specifically at improving the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses by reducing heat loss through the fabric of the building. On 1 March 2013, I announced capital allocations of €10 million to local authorities in respect of energy efficiency retrofitting works for this year.

Earlier this month, I announced a new €50 million three-year energy efficiency investment programme for local authority homes. This is a key part of the Government’s additional €150 million capital investment in the economy over 2013-2014 aimed at stimulating growth.

This programme will target the 25,000 least energy efficient local authority homes. This will result in warmer homes and lower energy bills for thousands of families and will also create around 1,000 jobs in the sector. I intend to announce capital allocations to local authorities very shortly in order that contracts can be commenced as soon as possible. This programme will operate nationwide and homes in all local authority areas will benefit under this measure. My Department met recently with housing practitioners from all local authorities with the objective of getting work started as quickly as possible. Some €10 million of the €50 million programme is available for spending in 2013.