Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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899. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the level of funding supplied annually towards studying fuel poverty here. [28580/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Under the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme, energy efficiency upgrades are provided free of charge to those households in danger of energy poverty who meet the application criteria. The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme is administered, on behalf of my Department, by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Funding for action on energy is focused on this scheme, under which 95,402 homes have received free energy upgrades since 2009. So far in 2015, 3,449 homes have benefitted. An allocation of €15.8 million has been made for this scheme in 2015. The operation of this scheme has proved a very important source of evidence for policy making on energy poverty in Ireland. The SEAI has built up significant expertise on this area. In addition, the ESRI and non-governmental organisations have undertaken important research in this area. My Department is drawing on this work, and the experience of these stakeholders, to prepare a new Affordable Energy Strategy, which I anticipate will be published before the end of this year.