Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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782. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated cost of deep retrofitting all local authority and social housing stock to the highest standard by unit; and the estimated cost of installing solar panels in the same housing stock. [41146/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Energy Efficiency programme for Local Authority Housing requires the retrofit of homes to achieve a B2/Cost Optimal BER rating as set out in the Climate Action Plan and Building Regulation Requirements for Major Renovations.

The level and cost of deep retrofit to be undertaken in local authority housing stock to achieve this standard depends on the initial condition and type of dwelling. My Department is working with local authorities on the transition to a planned maintenance approach to housing stock maintenance and the completion of stock condition surveys on all social homes in local authority ownership is a key element of this. The findings of stock condition surveys will inform future works programmes, including energy efficiency upgrades. The Programme for Government commits to retrofitting 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal BER by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes.

The 2021 Energy Efficiency Programme (EERP) is a newly revised programme devised around the Programme for Government with an increased Budget of €65 million, to include the Midlands Retrofit Programme, and focuses on ensuring that the fabric of the home is upgraded and an energy efficient heating system is provided. This requires local authorities to move to a 'deeper retrofit' programme, thus building on what has been completed in previous years. The revised programme provides for a significant increase in the level of funding available and focuses on ensuring that the fabric of the home is upgraded and an energy efficient heating system is provided. The works to achieve a B2/Cost Optimal BER include wall and roof insulation, new windows and external doors, heat pumps and associated works.

Under the new EERP programme the estimated average cost per unit to achieve a B2/Cost Optimal rating is €30,000. The cost of individual homes will depend on their pre-works building standard and energy performance.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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783. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the spend in each of the years 2016 to 2019 and the projected spend for 2020 and 2021 on leasing, housing assistance payments and rental accommodation scheme agreements between local authorities and landlords by authority and type of agreement; and the number of these arrangements that are direct transfers from rent allowance arrangements. [41147/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the long term leasing of houses and apartments from private owners, developers and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).

Details on SHCEP expenditure for the years 2015-2020, broken down by local authority, and the number of SHCEP agreements supported by my Department during that period are published at the following link: . €250m has been allocated to SHCEP in 2021.

Total expenditure by my Department on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) for the period 2016 – 2020, 2021 HAP budget and the numbers of transfers from Rent Supplement to HAP are in the table below:

*Exchequer allocation for 2021

Data for the years 2016 - 2020 in relation to the number of cost of tenancies funded under the RAS scheme, broken down by local authority, is available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?referrer=http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision#rental-accommodation-scheme-ras

Information on Rent Supplement Transfers to RAS from 2016 to 2021 (Q1) is also available at that link. €133m has been allocated to RAS in 2021.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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784. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applicants on the rental accommodation scheme and housing assistance payment housing transfer lists. [41148/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires all housing authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households.

The practical operation of transfer lists is, therefore, a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their own scheme of letting priorities, and the number of persons on the housing transfer list is also a matter for each individual local authority.