Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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132. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the low-interest loans to enable homes to retrofit will be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2287/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department is working with the Department of Finance, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland and the European Investment Bank to develop a residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme. The scheme is part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will be co-funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and Exchequer funding. It will also be backed by a counter guarantee provided by the EIB.

The loan guarantee will provide risk protection to retail credit institutions participating in the scheme. This 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 more affordable to consumers. This approach will signal to the banking sector, new sustainable business opportunities associated with retrofit and the transition to a low carbon economy as well as increasing the volume of retrofit activity within the State. It is anticipated that the Scheme will provide a lending portfolio of up to €500 million.

Significant progress has been made to date including completion of the "Invitation for Pre-Qualification Stage" to identify interested 'On-Lenders' and the "Invitation for Award Stage" to determine allocations of the loan portfolio. Intensive engagement to develop the scheme is ongoing and it is expected that the loan guarantee will be in place in the coming months.