Written answers

Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Departmental Schemes

Photo of Neasa HouriganNeasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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147. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he plans to offer zero-interest green loans to homeowners and renters to retrofit their residences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61828/21]

Photo of Sorca ClarkeSorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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174. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the low-cost loan scheme for retrofitting residential homes is open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61978/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 174 together.

The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan have set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 or carbon equivalent and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by the end of 2030.My Department is engaging with the Department of Finance, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland and the European Investment Bank in relation to the development of a residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme, which will be one of a range of measures to help achieve the retrofit targets.

The residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme has been selected for inclusion in Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will be co-funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and Exchequer funding. The target for introduction of the scheme is mid-2022.

The loan guarantee will provide risk protection to retail credit institutions participating in the scheme. Zero interest rate loans are not envisaged under the scheme. However, the loan guarantee will enable credit institutions to offer loans with reduced interest rates to private homeowners and non-corporate landlords and make comprehensive home energy efficiency upgrades more affordable to consumers. This approach will signal to the banking sector new, sustainable business opportunities associated with retrofit and the transition to a low carbon economy as well as increasing the volume of retrofit activity within the State.

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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148. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are grants available for the purchase of a generator (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61855/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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While it is a rare event, some electricity consumers can be without power from time to time. This can occur due to weather related events, such as the recent Storm Barra, network faults and network maintenance.

It is also possible that some consumers could be without electricity due to insufficient generation to meet demand. However, it should be noted that there have been no instances of this in recent times and procedures are in place to ensure that, if such an event were to happen, larger consumers would be requested to reduce their electricity use before homes and small business would be impacted.

While my Department does not offer grants for the purchase of generators, ESB Networks has a policy to support vulnerable customers particularly those who are more vulnerable to loss of electricity supply. Electricity customers can register as vulnerable customers via their electricity supplier and further details are available on the ESB Networks website at the following link: www.esbnetworks.ie/docs/default-source/publications/vulnerable-customer-policy.pdf

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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149. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total spend by the SEAI on the retrofitting and renovation of housing in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020; the share of that total spend that is attributable to labour costs; the average spend per unit of housing in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020; the share of that spend that is attributable to labour costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61876/21]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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171. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of homes that will be retrofitted in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61966/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos 149 and 171 together.

The National Retrofit Plan, published last month as part of the Climate Action Plan, set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 or carbon equivalent and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by the end of 2030. These targets represent a very significant increase in both the volume and depth of retrofit activity in Ireland.

COVID-19 related restrictions on construction activity in the residential sector between January and April have had a significant impact on activity this year. The SEAI estimates that approximately 16,000 retrofits will be supported by SEAI in 2021. Of this number 2,350 will be energy poverty retrofits and 4,700 will be B2 retrofits. To the end of October, 11,418 retrofits had been delivered, including 3,103 B2 retrofits and 1,625 energy poverty homes.

Budget 2022 commits €202 million in carbon tax revenue to fund the SEAI residential and community retrofit schemes and a further €10 million from the Exchequer for the Solar PV scheme. This investment will support over 22,000 home energy upgrades, including over 6,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2 and over 4,500 upgrades under the SEAI energy poverty schemes. It will deliver warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes with lower energy bills. It will also reduce emissions from the residential sector and improve air quality.

The detailed current and capital allocations for 2022 are being finalised as part of my Department's annual business planning process. The final Programme allocations will be included in the Revised Estimates Volume to be published later this month. These will be reflected in the SEAI business planning process.

The Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage will invest a further €85m as part of the Local Authority Retrofit Programme in 2022. This will deliver approximately 2,400 B2 / cost optimal retrofits next year.

The total spend that is attributable to labour costs and the average spend per unit of housing is not readily available. However, retrofitting homes is highly labour-intensive and creates quality sustainable jobs in local communities throughout the country, it is estimated that up to 60% of total retrofit cost can be labour. The request for detailed information has been sent to the SEAI and available data will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible upon receipt.

The SEAI's total spend and no. of homes completed on retrofitting schemes* for 2018 - 2020 were:

- 2018€91.5m21,478

- 2019€104.1m24,742

- 2020**€78.25m17,671

*Includes Better Energy Homes, Better Energy Warmer Homes, Warmth & Wellbeing, Deep Retrofit, Communities Energy Grants, Solar P.V and Better Energy Finance schemes.

** In 2020, in line with public health and Government guidelines in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, all works under SEAI funded schemes were advised to pause for a period of time.

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