Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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319. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider plans to retro-fit estates to ensure better energy saving through better ventilation and insulation; if his department has availed of any of the EU funding of €23 billion in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12540/17]

Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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320. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of grants provided to ensure energy saving upgrades to properties; the number of grants issued over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12541/17]

Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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321. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the funding supplied to the State by the European Commission to bring homes of inferior energy ratings up to a better standard during the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12542/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 319 to 321, inclusive, together.

The Better Energy Programme which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department consists of the Better Energy Homes Scheme, Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme and Better Energy Communities Scheme.

The Better Energy Homes (BEH) Scheme provides grant aid to private homeowners who wish to improve the energy performance of their home. Fixed 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). In 2016 over 15,000 homeowners had energy efficiency works carried out to their homes which resulted in €17m being spent on this scheme. 

The following table details the numbers of homes that have received grant support and the amount of grants paid over the past five years.

The Better Energy Warmer Homes (BEWH) scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty, who meet the eligibility criteria. The measures available include draught proofing, attic insulation, lagging jackets for hot water tanks, low energy light bulbs and cavity wall insulation. These measures can deliver the most energy savings at the lowest cost to the greatest number of homes. In 2016, 6,743 homes received energy efficiency upgrades under the BEWH scheme and the level of funding was just over €20m.

The Better Energy Communities Programme (BEC) aims to encourage community based partnerships to improve the thermal and electrical efficiency of the building stock and energy poor homes and facilities, encouraging the implementation of deeper and more technically and economically challenging measures. These partnerships can be between the public and private sectors, domestic and non-domestic sectors, commercial and not-for-profit organisations and energy suppliers. The community and business supports leverage considerable additional private investment. In 2016, almost €17m in funding provided for energy efficiency upgrades to more than 2,600 homes and almost 300 community and commercial facilities.

Beginning this year the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme will be co-funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of a wider package of State expenditure of €150m which is required to draw down €75m in ERDF grant funding. My Department also continues to explore ways to avail of EU funds in the form of financial instruments, which would be re-payable to the EU. It is necessary to bring forward projects of significant scale, with robust business cases, for such EU funding. Exploring options to develop projects of sufficient scale is a key objective of the range of energy efficiency pilot schemes, which have either begun, or are being becoming operational in 2017, particularly in the residential sector where the need for alternatives to the Exchequer will be necessary to fund the scale of deeper renovation required to place that sector on the trajectory required to meet long term emissions reduction targets.