John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

415. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to examine the potential for new support programmes, such as deep retrofit, to encourage home investment in certain energy efficient measures and systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15285/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department funds a range of support programmes and schemes to encourage homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. Funding for these schemes, which are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), will total €85m in 2018. Information and data on the operation of the schemes, including the Deep Retrofit Programme, is routinely gathered by the SEAI. This information is used by my Department and the SEAI to evaluate and improve the existing schemes as well as identify opportunities for new schemes. Both organisations also monitor the approaches being taken in other jurisdictions in order to learn from their experiences. This approach of evaluation and international review will provide a sound basis on which to design future supports to encourage home energy efficiency upgrades.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

416. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to test low-cost finance models, to identify and refine those best suited to consumer needs in order to increase the uptake of home energy investment with finance being one of the main barriers to energy efficiency investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15286/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Development Plan has identified a significant level of investment to fund home energy efficiency retrofit. However, it is clear that the Exchequer alone will not be able to fully fund the scale of retrofits that need to happen for Ireland to meet its national and EU climate targets. In order to address this, my Department is currently working with a number of key stakeholders to explore the potential for the introduction of new financing options to support energy efficiency. Actions in relation to smart finance to support energy efficiency measures will be considered in the context of the forthcoming All of Government Climate Plan.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

417. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to provide the necessary supports to help homeowners undertake home retrofits in order to prevent application abandonment for energy efficient grant schemes and to increase the uptake of home retrofits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15288/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department funds a number of energy efficiency schemes for homeowners that are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The SEAI works on an ongoing basis to identify opportunities to reduce application abandonment and increase the number of successful applications made to the schemes they administer. This focus includes significant insights from SEAI’s Behavioural Economics Unit. For example, in October of 2018, SEAI reviewed the online application wizard through which members of the public can apply for SEAI grant funding. The review identified a number of steps which could be removed in order to reduce application abandonment. Following the review, the problematic steps were removed from the application wizard resulting in a more streamlined process for users. This example of an innovative approach is in addition to the comprehensive information and guidance available from the SEAI through their website and information line.

More generally, I will shortly be publishing a new All of Government Climate Plan which will include a number of actions aimed at improving supports for homeowners and increasing the number of retrofits.