Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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1710. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the estimated cost of increasing grant aid for every measure available under the better energy homes scheme divided between each individual energy efficiency measure to households in 2017 based on current participation levels and by percentage increases (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26433/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Better Energy Homes scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. The scheme provides a financial incentive to private homeowners who wish to improve the energy performance of their homes. Grants are provided towards the cost of a range of measures including attic insulation, wall insulation, heating systems upgrades, solar thermal panels and accompanying Building Energy Rating (BER).

The effect of a percentage increase in grant levels cannot be predicted with certainty and the best that can be done is to apply percentage increase to activity level in previous years. However, such a mathematical exercise can be misleading as it cannot assess the elasticity of demand or impact as between measures of changing support levels, potentially  miscalculating the impact on individual measures and overall cost to the Exchequer.

The table below shows, for illustrative purposes, the possible cost to the Exchequer if grant rates were increased by the percentages detailed in the Question, based on the demand levels experienced across 2015. That year is used for illustrative purposes as it is the last full year of the scheme's operation and so should negate any seasonal effect in grant payments.

A total of €14.3m in grant payments were made under the Better Energy Homes scheme in 2015. This involved upgrades to 12,339 homes. The split between individual measures is outlined in the table below (excluding the €50 grant awarded for undertaking a BER). It should also be noted that the exact grant a householder receives for a measure varies based on their house type and whether they are eligible to receive a bonus top-up payment for undertaking multiple energy efficiency measures.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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1711. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the total amount of Department funding allocated to the better energy homes scheme, better energy communities scheme and better energy warmer homes scheme in 2016,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26434/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates a number of energy efficiency schemes under the Better Energy Programme on behalf of my Department. The Better Energy Homes Scheme makes a range of grants available to home-owners who wish to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme offers free energy efficiency upgrades to those in energy poverty and the Better Energy Communities Scheme funds community activity on energy efficiency.

To date, the Better Energy Programme has supported energy efficiency upgrades in more than 325,000 homes throughout Ireland. SEAI estimate that the programme will support approximately 2,300 jobs in 2016. It is anticipated that up to 25,000 homes will receive grant support under the Better Energy Programme in 2016.

The table below details the numbers of homes that have received grant support so far in 2016, the amount of funding spent to date and the estimated final outturn for each programme (capital and current) in 2016.