Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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155. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the additional funding, not already committed, allocated in the July stimulus to the retrofitting of homes; the details of the allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20052/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets for the number and depth of residential retrofits to be completed by 2030. The targets are to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal equivalent and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. Retrofitting has the ability to contribute to a number of important goals including - decarbonisation; warmer, more comfortable homes; as well as job creation and retention in the new green economy.

The July Stimulus commits to increasing the SEAI budget by €100 million in 2021. This additional funding will be focused on community retrofit schemes, retrofit schemes supporting those in energy poverty as well as other initiatives to support the achievement of our retrofit targets. The SEAI will shortly be announcing the first details of the new and expanded retrofit schemes. By announcing this funding now, the Government is providing certainty to the sector so that they can continue approved programmes of work, bid into new and expanded schemes, maintain a pipeline of retrofit activity, and sustain and create jobs.