Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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844. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider housing estates (details supplied) in County Westmeath as part of the retrofit programme allocation made in budget 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44375/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A just transition and protecting the most vulnerable is at the heart of the Climate Action Plan and measures announced as part of Budget 2020 will support those most affected. The Government has allocated €20 million of Carbon Price revenue to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to deliver grouped upgrades as promised in the Climate Action Plan. Targeted at the Midlands, the scheme will be built around core work on some of the social housing stock in the region but will also be designed to allow other homeowners to “opt in” to the aggregation model which will streamline services on an area basis. It will also support an estimated 400 jobs directly and indirectly. The specific design of the project will be led by the Retrofit Taskforce which was established in recent weeks and is chaired by my Department. Decisions in relation to the locations that will be involved in the scheme next year have not yet been made.

This significantly increased level of investment represents an important step towards realising the Government’s Climate Action Plan targets in the area of building retrofitting while prioritising the most vulnerable households.