Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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228. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of one-stop shops that are currently operational; the number of staff employed in each; the number of applications that have been received by each one-stop shop and in total; the number of completed retrofits carried out through the one-stop shops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39503/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 214, 215 and 228 together. The National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme introduces a new, highly customer centric, way to undertake home upgrades. SEAI registered One-Stop-Shops will provide an end-to-end service for homeowners. This includes surveying; designing the upgrades; managing the grant process; helping with access to finance; engaging contractors; and quality assurance. 

The Scheme offers unprecedented grant levels, increased from circa 30% to 50% of the cost of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with a heat pump.

Following Government approval, the SEAI registration portal opened for companies to apply to be a One-Stop-Shop (OSS), building on the preparatory work already undertaken. SEAI are focused on engaging organisations capable of professionally managing all aspects of a OSS service. Therefore, the registration process, for this new service, must be robust.

The SEAI advise that there are a number of clearly defined minimum eligibility criteria in order to apply to become an OSS. The applicant must be able to demonstrate that they can meet the criteria under the key areas as outlined below:

- Financial Probity and Business Standing

- Organisational Capability and Technical Competence

- Governance and Legal Requirements

- Business Systems and IT Capability

- Market Engagement

- Skilled Workforce (direct or partnerships)

- Quality Assurance

- Obligated Party if relevant

- Commitment as a partner and key stakeholder in national retrofit

Once the OSS applicant meets the eligibility criteria, they are then required to submit a strategic plan to SEAI for assessment and agreement and enter into an OSS appointment agreement with SEAI.

In accordance with each OSS quality management system, each OSS must ensure they have sufficient competent resources in place, either directly employed or subcontracted via each OSS subcontractor framework, to satisfy all the home energy upgrade measures required. The individual competency requirements for each specific measure are described in the Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications. Each OSS must ensure, through their competency and onboarding frameworks, internal auditing process and training, that all contractors adhere to these technical requirements. Each OSS is responsible for contracting their own subcontractors via their own appointment criteria.

The SEAI advise that nine OSSs have now been registered, outlined in Table below, and the SEAI is actively working with applicant organisations to support them through this registration process.

As set out in the eligibility criteria to register as a OSS, each must ensure they have sufficient competent resources in place. This means the proportion of staff directly employed by the OSSs to the level of support through frameworks of subcontractors and independent consultants varies considerably across the nine registered depending on their respective business models.

SEAI has indicated that the OSSs have received over 18,000 initial expressions of interest by phone and online, showing the interest in the new offering.