Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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69. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has met the SEAI and an agency (details supplied) on the programme of deep retrofitting for municipal and private dwellings; and if a funding programme will be developed that will accelerate the decarbonisation of public buildings and private dwellings. [53136/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I have met with the CEO and Chair of SEAI where we discussed a range of issues. I have not met with the Tipperary Energy Agency. The Deep Retrofit Pilot Programme is funded by my Department and operated by the SEAI. It is investigating how to create a scalable offering for the deep retrofit of Ireland’s homes, while building consumer demand and contractor capacity. Funding up to 50% of the costs is available for homes that achieve an A3 Building Energy Rating post retrofit. The pilot programme will help inform how we can make deep retrofit attractive and available to individual homeowners on a larger scale post 2020, and critically, will help Ireland move away from fossil fuels to clean renewable heating systems, such as solar and heat pumps.

Under the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy a structure is in place to allow the SEAI and OPW to provide guidance and support to senior managers to identify the projects and investments that can help achieve the target of 33% improvement in energy efficiency. The project pipeline being developed includes a significant retrofit programme.

I have recently received a mandate from Government to begin the preparation of a new All of Government Plan to bring about a step change in our climate ambition over the next decade, and beyond. As this is developed I will be looking at how we can further step up our activity in the area of deep retrofit and energy efficiency in general.