Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

521. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the options open to a person (details supplied) that has been refused an SEAI grant despite their home having been built in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50392/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Better Energy Homes scheme provides cash grants to homeowners towards the cost of a variety of energy efficiency measures. It is funded by my Department and operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEAI) of Ireland.

The Deputy will appreciate that individual applications to the Better Energy Homes scheme are an operational matter for SEAI and I can have no role in such matters.  However, a dedicated hot line for queries in relation to the scheme can be reached at 1850 927 000. In addition, SEAI has a dedicated contact point for Members of the Oireachtas, oireachtas@seai.ie.

By way of background and context, the rules of the scheme (paragraph 1.4 of the SEAI grant Application Guide) state that a home must be “built and occupied before 2006”. The method used to establish this is the installation date of the ESB meter as this confirms when the electricity supply was established. Initial grant approval can be given online but is still subject to the terms laid out in the Application Guide. SEAI have informed me that the home in question received an ESB meter in 2006 and therefore could not be considered to be "built and occupied before 2006."

Grants for energy efficiency upgrades are only available to homes built and occupied before 2006. Houses built and occupied in 2006 or after would have been subject to Building Regulations which require a minimum level of energy efficiency and as such should not require significant upgrades. Grant funding further works in homes that already possess this level of energy efficiency would not represent a cost-effective use of Exchequer funds.