Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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33. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of homes in County Tipperary that have been awarded funding as part of the SEAI warmer homes scheme in 2020. [32258/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme is funded by my Department and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty.

Budget 2021 provided €221.5 million in capital funding for residential and community retrofit programmes next year to be funded by my Department through the SEAI.

Of this allocation, €109 million is provided to support lower income households to retrofit their homes and participate in the transition.  This represents an increase of €47 million on the 2020 allocation for energy poverty schemes and means that almost half of the total residential and community retrofit budget will support people vulnerable to energy poverty. The funding will mean that more households can receive free energy efficiency upgrades making their homes warmer, healthier and cheaper to run, in line with the Programme for Government.

The table below sets out the number of home upgrades completed under the scheme in Tipperary in 2019;  the number of home upgrades completed under the scheme this year, to end of September 2020; and the number of homes currently in the scheme work programme yet to be completed.  It should be noted that activity under the scheme in 2020 has been negatively impacted by COVID-19 related restrictions.