David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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424. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost of universal insulation for 808,000 homes. [38631/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The cost of insulating homes can vary significantly from property to property. Key factors which determine the cost include the type of insulation required, the size of the property and whether there is any existing insulation to be upgraded. It is not, therefore, possible to cost the provision of universal insulation to 808,000 homes.

The Government’s Climate Action Plan sets an ambitious target of 500,000 home retrofits to Building Energy Rating ‘B2’ by 2030. I recently announced the establishment of a Retrofit Taskforce that will drive the achievement of this commitment. The Taskforce which will drive the development of a new national delivery model, which will group homes together, create easy pay back mechanisms (e.g. through your electricity bill) and find smart financing. The Taskforce will:

- Design a pilot to take place in 2020 in both an urban and a rural area to test the model

- Audit the models that exist both in Ireland and internationally, for delivering energy efficiency measures by aggregating premises

- Design smart finance options to leverage government funding to the best effect

- Design the most appropriate tender for the delivery of the aggregated model

- Assess the scope for easy pay models e.g. an equivalent 'bike to work' scheme. Homeowners who choose to upgrade can expect lower energy bills so there may also be potential for a scheme which allows for pay back through utility bills

- Consider how best to ensure a strong pipeline of talent, through apprenticeships, traineeships and upskilling and how best to build a strong supply chain