Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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573. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the complaint resolution mechanisms that are in place when an Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, registered contractor fails to complete work to a satisfactory standard. [39463/17]

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 supports 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 system upgrades, solar thermal panels and accompanying Building Energy Rating (BER). Since the scheme’s launch, some 200,000 homes have received an SEAI grant for energy efficiency improvements.

SEAI maintains a register of contractors who are authorised to undertake works under the Better Energy scheme. Each contractor on the register is required to undertake all works for which grant support is payable in accordance with the technical specifications of the scheme, demonstrate their tax compliance and insurance cover and cooperate with the scheme's Quality Assurance (QA) programme.

The QA programme has been designed by SEAI to maintain high standards of contractor workmanship; build consumer confidence; monitor health and safety; and ensure proper governance of the spending of public money. Regular inspections of works are undertaken on a risk-based approach in accordance with international best practice. When sub-standard works are found, contractors are required to rectify the works to the satisfaction of the inspector, at no cost to the home-owner.

These inspections are performed by independent experts, who were procured by SEAI following an extensive public tendering process in accordance with EU and Irish public procurement rules.  Over the past year, these inspectors have completed 3,400 home inspections.

SEAI deal with all complaints received appropriately and this informs the risk-based approach to inspections. The case by case review of any complaints may inform desk based investigations and/or site visits where deemed appropriate. 

If a householder has a dispute with a contractor regarding non-SEAI related work, that is a civil dispute between the householder and contractor and one in which SEAI does not play a role.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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574. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a home that previously received funding under the better energy warmer homes scheme for a specific measure, for example attic insulation, is then ineligible for further grants under the better energy warmer homes scheme. [39464/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures, free of charge, to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty that meet the defined eligibility criteria. The scheme is delivered through a combination of SEAI appointed Community Based Organisations (CBOs), augmented by a panel of private contractors in order to ensure national coverage. The measures available include draught proofing, attic insulation, lagging jackets for hot water tanks, low energy light bulbs, cavity wall insulation and energy advice. To date nearly 125,000 homes have benefitted from an energy efficiency upgrade under the scheme. 

Over the scheme’s lifetime, the works offered have evolved to keep pace with technological developments and higher technical standards. The standards that apply to the scheme’s delivery today are set by the National Standards Authority of Ireland’s Code of Practice on Setting the Standard for Energy Efficient Retrofit (SR54) which came into force in 2014.

There are more than 400,000 homes in Ireland eligible for upgrade under the Warmer Homes scheme and to date the scheme has upgraded approximately 125,000 of these. With the limited resources available to the scheme, priority must be given to those who have never received works under the scheme. This precludes the scheme from revisiting most past participants. However, as I announced at this year's Energy Action Conference on Energy Poverty, the Warmer Homes scheme now accepts applications from past participants where no wall insulation whatsoever was offered. So in the case of a person who has only received attic insulation previously under the scheme they are now eligible to reapply and receive cavity wall insulation, assuming their home is suitable for such.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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575. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of an SEAI complaint (details supplied). [39465/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I have no function in relation to individual grant applications to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Queries in relation to individual applications are an operational matter for the SEAI. In addition, the SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members, which can be sent to oireachtas@seai.ieand will be dealt with promptly.

However, I understand that communications between the applicant and SEAI on this particular case are on-going and the matter is receiving the necessary consideration.