Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Since 2013, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) to support local authorities with the retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 over 75,000 homes have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of €184 million under the scheme.

In response to the Programme for Government commitment, my Department launched a newly revised ten year Energy Efficiency Programme in 2021 for local authority owned housing. This new programme set a BER performance requirement of “B2” or cost optimal level. The upscaling of the works included in the programme sees a substantial overall increase in funding being made available for insulation, windows and doors and heating upgrades, specifically the installation of a Heat Pump and associated works. The installation of gas/oil boilers are no longer supported under the energy efficiency programme funded by my Department.

An annualised breakdown of the total funding provided and the number of properties upgraded under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit programme for the years 2013-2021 is available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/.

My Department also introduced a pilot Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme in 2020-2022, the details of which are found below. A further 146 properties were retrofitted to a BER of B2/ Cost Optimal Equivalent and these figures are in addition to the National Retrofit Programme.

gov.ie - Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme - Expenditure and Units (www.gov.ie).

Earlier this year, my Department announced that funding of €85 million will be provided for the upgrade of approximately 2,400 social homes in 2022. Each local authority received an individual allocation along with a minimum target of homes they are required to retrofit. The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit ranging from those requiring minor levels of works to properties needing the maximum level of retrofitting required to bring them to a B2/Cost Optimum standard.

Work in relation to the 2022 programme is underway but it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to the 2022 EERP will be available early in 2023.