Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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234. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of the retrofit budget on a local authority basis to date in 2022, in tabular form; the quantum of money drawn down on a local authority basis; the houses retrofitted on a local authority basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61478/22]

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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235. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of the retrofit budget allocation and housing retrofit target on a local authority basis for 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form; the quantum of money drawn down in 2019, 2020 and 2021 on a local authority basis, the houses retrofitted in 2019, 2020 and 2021 on a local authority basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61479/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together.

My Department introduced an Energy Efficiency Programme that commenced in 2013, with the ambition to fund retrofit on all social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. This programme has seen improved energy efficiency and comfort levels in over 75,000 Local Authority homes over the period 2013 to the end of 2021 at a total cost to the exchequer of some €183 million.

For the period 2013 – 2020 Energy Efficiency Works were carried out in two phases:

Phase 1 aimed to ensure that the entire social housing stock would have, as a minimum, wall insulation and attic insulation (300mm). To this end, funding was initially targeted at the less intrusive cavity wall insulation as well as attic/roof insulation.

Phase 2 focused on the fabric upgrade works to those remaining dwellings with solid/hollow block wall construction and includes the provision of heating upgrades.

This previous programme was withdrawn in 2021 with the introduction of a new holistic Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme that focuses on ensuring that the fabric of the home is upgraded and an energy efficient heating system is provided. The programme will see a significant upscaling on what has been completed by local authorities in previous years.

This new enhanced ten-year energy efficiency programme was launched in response to a commitment made under the Programme for Government, which called for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent BER standard by 2030. The National Development Plan 2021-2030 and the Housing for All Plan have specified that of those 500,000 homes to be retrofitted by 2030, approximately 36,500 will be local authority owned homes.

A breakdown of the funding provided and the output per local authority since 2013 can be found on the Department website below:

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

My Department also introduced a pilot Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme in 2020, 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) 

In 2022, my Department announced a budget of €85 million to retrofit 2,400 local authority homes. Details in relation to the drawdown and output will be available in early 2023.