Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
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484. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the selection criteria and tendering process for new retrofitting centres; the progress of establishing these new centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20563/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The government has set an ambitious target to retrofit 500,000 homes by 2030. Important steps towards delivering on this target include the delivery of training through Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) Centres of Excellence. Training offered in the NZEB Centres provide the skills required for a modern construction workforce, and helps support the delivery of the Government’s retrofitting targets set out in the National Retrofit Plan.

Following a successful application for funding under the Skills to Advance National Innovation Fund, Waterford-Wexford ETB established the first retrofitting/NZEB Training Centre to facilitate green upskilling in 2020. To build on the success of this original initiative, five other ETBs applied to SOLAS for capital funding to develop retrofitting/NZEB training centres including Laois Offaly ETB (Mount Lucas), Cork ETB, Limerick Clare ETB, Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB and City of Dublin ETB (Finglas). Four of the six centres are now operational (Waterford Wexford ETB, Mount Lucas, Limerick Clare ETB and Cork ETB). Cork ETB’s centre will be officially launched in May and City of Dublin ETB’s (Finglas) centre is expected to commence training during 2023.

Tendering in relation to the building of the centres and equipment is done at a local level in the ETB, in compliance with their respective procurement processes.

Retrofit and NZEB courses offered by these centres are suitable for qualified and experienced learners, and those who are new to the area. The courses are free, fast and flexible with weekend and evening provision available. In many cases, where a person has an existing construction-related qualification, knowledge or experience, they can learn these skills quickly, usually within three-four days.