Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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897. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if window and door insulation is covered by grants under the sustainable energy programme. [28578/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Better Energy Homes and Better Energy Warmer Homes schemes are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. Since 2009, the two schemes have supported the renovation of 263,636 homes in Ireland. In late 2014, my Department, working with the SEAI, reviewed the supports available under the Better Energy Homes scheme in conjunction with the financial resources available for the scheme. This review concluded that the most efficient ways of using the limited resources available to the scheme were (i) to increase the existing grant levels whose value had been eroded by inflation, (ii) to introduce a new bonus payment that encourages householders to engage in deeper renovations that could lead to more significant energy savings and (iii) to abolish the minimum grant threshold. These changes were made and announced in March of this year.

Under the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme, energy efficiency upgrades are provided free of charge to those households who meet the application criteria. Measures are provided under the scheme on an as needed basis.

Window and door insulation is not currently supported under the Better Energy Programme due to the need to balance the limited resources available with the demand for these schemes. Therefore, the measures currently supported are those that can deliver the most energy savings at the lowest cost. While window and door insulation does improve the energy efficiency of a home, the cost of such measures is high in relation to the energy efficiency gains made.