Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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414. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the process by which the SEAI has identified homes that are eligible for upgrades under the warmer homes scheme; and the take-up rate among eligible households. [48105/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme is  funded by my Department and operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The scheme provides 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.

Eligibility for the scheme is open to household who meet the following criteria:

- Owner occupied, non-local authority home;

- Home built pre-2006;

- Household in receipt of one of the following payments;

- Fuel Allowance as part of the National Fuel Scheme;

- Family Income Supplement;

- Jobseeker’s Allowance for over 6 months and have a child aged under 7 years;

- One Parent Family Payment.

Works provided under the scheme are carried out by an SEAI-appointed panel of non-profit Community Based Organisations (CBOs), supplemented with a panel of private contractors to ensure a nationwide spread of recipients.

The SEAI recruits people to the scheme in a number of ways.

- CBOs on the panel are encouraged to generate their own applications. They do this through their links in the local community or through working with other organisations or groups who engage with vulnerable sectors of society such as St. Vincent de Paul, MABS or health care professionals;

- Mailshots drawing homeowners' attention to the availability of the scheme are sent by Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection on behalf of SEAI to all recipients of the Fuel Allowance;

- General marketing and advertisement of the scheme on SEAI’s website and social media.

To date, more than 130,000 homes have been upgraded through the scheme. However, there are nearly 400,000 households in receipt of Fuel Allowance. This suggests that is still a significant number of people who could be availing of this free upgrade. I have asked the SEAI to examine additional means of finding people who may be eligible to ensure that these low income households are availing of these improvements that will help them to keep their homes warmer and manage their energy bills.