Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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212. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated total cost of retrofitting and upgrading of 500,000 homes to a B2 rating by 2030 as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16510/21]

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 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; and job creation and retention.

Work is ongoing to finalise an estimate of the cost of the retrofit programme in the context of the National Development Plan Review and finalising a National Retrofit Framework.  The overall estimated cost will include assumptions around the dwelling types (detached, semi-detached, terraced, apartment) and the starting Building Energy Rating of the properties to be retrofitted as well as a range of other factors.   

The Department funds a number of grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Partial grants are available for homeowners who can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency retrofits for people at risk of energy poverty. These are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Since 2000, around 450,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes, representing nearly one home in four across the country.

€221.5 million in capital funding has been provided this year for residential and community retrofit programmes to be funded by my Department through the SEAI. This represents an additional €100 million, or an 82% increase, on the 2020 allocation and is the largest ever budget for the schemes.