Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there is a Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland grant for lighting available for schools to switch to more carbon-friendly LED lighting; if not, if such a grant is planned for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9538/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Capital funding for Schools is generally a matter for my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills and my Department does not provide specific broad based grant support for the type of works indicated. However, my Department does fund a wide range of energy efficiency and renewable energy supports to public bodies, including schools, to educate and enable them to improve their energy efficiency and decarbonise their activities.

The Climate Action Plan sets the public sector ambitious 2030 targets of achieving 50% energy efficiency improvement (increased from 33% by 2020) and 51% emissions reduction. Relevant, initiatives to support the achievement of these targets include:  

- The Public Sector Energy Efficiency Programme, an energy management and advisory programme, which provides comprehensive support and engagement, including training and the sharing of best practices, to guide public sector bodies and schools in delivering energy efficiency improvements; and,

- The Public Sector Schools Pathfinder Programme, co-funded with the Department of Education and Skills, which provides capital supports to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise school buildings. My Departments' contribution to the 2022 schools initiative is over €11 million, which will see 6 schools benefiting from a selection of energy efficiency works. 

Further information is available on the SEAI website, www.seai.ie/business-and-public-sector/). Information for schools is also available: /www.seai.ie/community-energy/schools/save-energy-at-school/

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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138. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered the inclusion of standalone grants for windows and doors, which does not seem to be supported as part of a deep retrofit. [9549/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme offers increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with a heat pump (up from the current level of 30-35%). The Scheme introduces a new way to undertake home energy upgrades with One-Stop-Shops providing an end-to-end service for homeowners. This includes surveying the home; designing the upgrades; managing the grant process; helping with access to finance; engaging contractors to deliver the work; and quality assuring the work.

Homes, built and occupied pre-2011, and owned by private homeowners, non-corporate landlords and Approved Housing Bodies are eligible for the scheme. This provides an unprecedented opportunity for people all over Ireland to upgrade to a warmer, healthier and more comfortable home, with lower energy bills.

Window and door replacements are available under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, as well as under the Community Energy Grant scheme, as part of a whole house upgrade solution, as required, to achieve an energy efficient home to B2.

Window and door replacement are also available in some circumstances under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme which delivers free upgrades to eligible homeowners in low income households vulnerable to energy poverty.

Window and door replacements are not supported under the Better Energy Homes Scheme, where homeowners can choose to carry out works on a step by step, self-managed basis.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the low-interest loans and the one-stop shop are intended to support all energy upgrades or only those deep retrofits designed to get to a B2 BER rating. [9550/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Government has approved a package of supports as part of the delivery of Ireland’s residential retrofit programme. These measures are aimed at making it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills and lower emissions.

Included in these measures is the establishment of the new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, offering increased and very generous grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with a heat pump (up from the current level of 30-35%).

In addition, Government have been clear that it is important that households that want to undertake a deep retrofit but do not have the financial means to carry out the upgrade in a single project, should be supported at the enhanced grant levels. For that reason, many of the new higher grant rates are also now available under the Better Energy Homes Scheme allowing homeowners to take a step-by-step approach or self-manage the project. The One Stop Shops can support homeowners under either scheme.

Window and door replacements are available under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, as well as under the Community Energy Grant scheme, as part of a whole house upgrade solution, as required, to achieve an energy efficient home to B2. Window and door replacement are also available in some circumstances under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme which delivers free upgrades to eligible homeowners in low income households vulnerable to energy poverty.Window and door replacements are not supported under the Better Energy Homes Scheme, where homeowners can choose to carry out works on a step by step, and/or, self-managed basis.

The residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme is part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will be co-financed by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and Exchequer funding. The target for introduction of the scheme is Q3-2022. 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 even more affordable and accessible to more consumers.

The parameters for the loans under the guarantee have not been finalised yet. However, the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility funding sets a number of conditions the guarantee must comply with. One of those is that at least 75% of loans issued under the guarantee are used for medium-depth retrofit projects. Medium-depth level renovation is defined as upgrades achieving primary energy savings of between 30% and 60%, as per Commission Recommendation on Building Renovation (EU) 2019/786. Consequently, the low-cost retrofit loans under the guarantee will predominantly, though not exclusively, target comprehensive home energy upgrade projects.