Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Energy Conservation

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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469. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the numer of the local authorities whose housing stock has been retro-fitted in the south Kildare constituency; if the retrofitting included windows and doors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13293/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 to the end of 2022, over 77,500 local authority social housing dwellings have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €251 million.

In 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the programme, designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2 (BER)/Cost Optimal Equivalent standard by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes, with grant funding provided by my Department for those local authority housing retrofits.

Works eligible under my Department's revised EERP include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. The selection of measures to achieve the B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent is a matter for each individual local authority and details in this regard may be available from the local authority upon request.

The Department issues a full year allocation and target to the local authority and not to specific constituencies and as such the selection of properties for inclusion in the programme is a matter for each individual local authority.

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 481 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)

The 2023 EERP budget provides an increase in funding support from €85 million allocated in 2022 to €87 million in 2023 with details of this year’s programme including target allocations being finalised.

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