Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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182. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding available for retrofitting and making older homes more energy efficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25238/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department funds a number of grant schemes to support homeowners, communities, commercial and public sector bodies to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. These are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The SEAI residential retrofit schemes offer partial grants for individuals who can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency improvements for people at risk of energy poverty. Since 2000, around 450,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes, representing nearly one home in four across the country. This has resulted in warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes that are easier and cheaper to heat and light.

This year, €221.5 million in capital funding has been provided for SEAI residential and community retrofit programmes. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes.

Of this amount, €109 million is allocated to provide free upgrades for lower income households. This is a €47 million increase on the 2020 allocation. €112.5 million will be spent on expanding other existing SEAI grant schemes and introducing new initiatives. The first of the new schemes was launched in September when a call for projects under the new National Retrofit (One-Stop-Shop Development) scheme issued. A €30 million call for projects under the Communities Energy Grant scheme was launched in November. Further initiatives will follow in the coming months.

The SEAI grant schemes focus on older homes. Grants for insulation and heating control systems are available to homes built and occupied prior to 2006. Heat pump and solar grants are available to homes built and occupied prior to 2011.

Full details on the application processes for all schemes operated by the SEAI are available at www.seai.ie.