Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the projected output for each retrofit scheme for 2022, in tabular form. [17667/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 (or cost optimal equivalent), and to install 400,000 heat pumps to replace existing heating systems by 2030. The review of the National Development Plan (NDP) resulted in an unprecedented financial commitment to support achievement of the Government’s retrofit targets. A total of €8 billion of Exchequer funding (including €5 billion in carbon tax revenues) will be available to support residential upgrades to 2030.

Building further on its clear financial commitment the Government recently approved a package of significant enhancements to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills.

The key measures include:

- a new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme providing increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard (up from 30%-35% grants currently)

- One Stop Shops to offer a hassle-free, start-to-finish project management service, including access to financing, for home energy upgrades

- a significant increase in the number of free energy upgrades for those at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme (400 per month – up from an average of 177 per month in 2021), and

- a special enhanced grant rate, equivalent to 80% of the typical cost, for attic and cavity wall insulation for all households, to urgently reduce energy use and cost as part of the Government’s response to current exceptionally high energy prices.

The projected SEAI output for each home retrofit scheme for 2022 is set out in the table below.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the emissions saved per retrofit scheme for 2021, in tabular form. [17668/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The National Residential Retrofit Plan is one important measure contained in the 2021 Climate Action Plan (CAP21) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment. Other measures announced as part of CAP21 include strengthening the building regulations, supporting the roll-out of district heating, the development of low carbon construction materials and technologies, and an ambitious public sector decarbonisation programme. These measures, in conjunction with the National Residential Retrofit Plan, will contribute towards emissions reductions in the built environment.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has provided the data below setting out the estimated emissions saved for each retrofit scheme in 2021.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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168. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the shortfall, and the measures that are proposed to make up the shortfall, in emissions reductions from buildings, given that the retrofit schemes will only go part of the way to meeting the 2030 emissions target. [17669/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The 2021 Climate Action Plan (CAP21) sets out a range of emissions reductions for each sector that together will contribute towards achieving the 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act, 2021. The range of emissions reductions for the built environment published in CAP21 is 44% - 56% relative to 2018 levels and includes direct emissions associated with buildings in the residential, commercial and public sectors.

The National Residential Retrofit Plan is just one of many measures contained in CAP21 aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment. Other measures announced as part of CAP21 include strengthening the building regulations, supporting the roll-out of district heating, the development of low carbon construction materials and technologies, and an ambitious public sector decarbonisation programme.  These measures, in conjunction with the National Residential Retrofit Plan, will contribute towards the achievement of the targeted range of emissions reductions in the built environment.

In October 2021 the Climate Change Advisory Council published the first proposed carbon budget programme.  This programme has since been approved by Government and has been laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas for approval. The programme is due to be discussed in both Houses in early April.  When approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas, my Department will prepare proposed sectoral emissions ceilings, including a sectoral emissions ceiling for the built environment, for Government consideration and approval. I intend that the next iteration of the Climate Action Plan will, in turn, be informed by these agreed sectoral emissions ceilings.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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169. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the average cost of retrofits for the deep retrofit scheme for each year since it opened, in tabular form; and the length of time after the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland stopped receiving applications that the payments will cease being made. [17670/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Deep Retrofit Pilot Scheme was launched in 2017 as a time bound pilot to investigate the challenges and opportunities of deep retrofit in Ireland. Under the scheme 50% grant funding was available for homes that carried out retrofit to an A rating and replaced fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps and renewables, with 95% support available for people at risk of energy poverty. The pilot has provided detailed information on the types of upgrades and technologies suited to particular homes, the costs associated with deeper retrofit, post works energy performance of homes retrofitted as well as customer and contractor experience of undertaking deeper retrofit projects. A key requirement of the scheme was that applications came from service providers rather than homeowners and involved at least 5 homes.

The following table gives the details of the number of projects approved, the total and average funding per project, the number of homes on each project approved and the average grant per home. They are assigned to the year in which the grant agreement was issued to the applicant.

The deadline for applications to be submitted was 19th July 2019. Each project was evaluated and the timeline between the application date and the date the letter of offer was issued is largely due to the speed of the responses to technical and cost queries raised by SEAI through the course of the evaluation process.

The final letter of offer was issued on 5th May 2020.  Covid-19 has had a significant impact on works both in terms of the restrictions on the construction industry and the supply of materials. It is anticipated that all works will be completed and grant monies drawn down by the end of 2022.

Further information on the results of the Deep Retrofit Pilot Scheme are available on SEAI’s website: www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/deep-retrofit-grant/key-findings/

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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170. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps that are being taken to increase warmer homes scheme output to 400 per month; and the average monthly output for the scheme in each of the years 2016 to 2021, in tabular form. [17671/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty.  It is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).  Since the start of the scheme in 2000, over 145,000 free upgrades have been supported by the scheme.  In 2021, the average cost of the energy efficiency measures provided per household had increased significantly to €17,100.

Activity under the scheme, and the associated expenditure, were significantly impacted in both 2020 and 2021 by the COVID pandemic, when construction activity was paused for approximately 12 months in total, and access to properties during restricted periods, in line with Government guidelines, was challenging.  SEAI data indicates that for homes completed so far in 2022, the average cycle time from application to completion was approximately 27 months. While this delay was largely driven by COVID related issues, the deeper measures being provided under the scheme since 2018, also involve more substantive works.

This is a top priority for my Department and SEAI and in order to reduce this timeline to completion and target a monthly average of 400 completions this year, the following actions have already been taken:

- The budget, at €109 million, is nearly three times the 2021 outturn (€38 million) and funding has also been sought through the European Regional Development Fund;

- SEAI has been allocated additional staff for the Warmer Homes Scheme;

- SEAI is working to Increase contractor output through active contract engagement and management.

Any necessary further measures identified as required by SEAI to increase output under this key Scheme will also be taken.

The average monthly output for the Warmer Homes Scheme from 2016 to 2021 is detailed in the table below.

In comparing the annual data, it is important to note that the depth and associated cost of the retrofits available under the scheme has increased significantly since 2018.