Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if those working on community employment schemes and in receipt of fuel allowance are entitled to apply for SEAI better energy warmer homes scheme. [22638/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Warmer Homes Scheme offers free energy upgrades or eligible homeowners who are most at risk of energy poverty. Eligibility for the Scheme is linked to receipt of certain Department of Social Protection payments, including the Fuel Allowance.

Households where someone is participating in a Community Employment scheme and is also in receipt of Fuel Allowance are eligible to apply to the Warmer Homes scheme provided they meet the other eligibility criteria.

All information on the Warmer Homes Scheme is available on the SEAI website at www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/free-upgrades-for-eligible-homes.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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168. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures his Department is taking to encourage landlords to avail of the national home energy retrofit programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22646/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I recognise that rental properties can present a specific challenge for energy efficiency improvements. This is an issue found in most countries where the incentives to invest in energy upgrades can be misaligned between landlords and tenants.

The Government’s Housing for All Plan commits to the introduction of a minimum BER for private rental properties, where feasible, from 2025, and to develop a roadmap to implement these standards. Additionally, as part of Ireland’s residential retrofit programme, the Government has approved a new package of supports targeting homes that were built and occupied pre-2011. These supports have been made available to non-corporate landlords and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to undertake home energy upgrades, with lower energy bills and to improve the efficiency of their rental properties including:

- The National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (One Stop Shop Service) provides grant support of approximately 50% of the typical cost for private landlords with higher supports available for AHBs.

- The Better Energy Homes Scheme provides support to landlords for step-by-step retrofits.

- Landlords can also receive support to upgrade their properties under the Community Energy Grant Scheme.

- 80% grants are available to landlords for attic and cavity wall insulation, which are low-cost measures that can be installed quickly and cost effectively.

In addition to these supports, a new tax incentive to encourage small-scale landlords to undertake retrofitting works while the tenant remains in situ was announced last year. This measure provides for a tax deduction of up to €10,000 per property, against Case V rental income, for certain retrofitting expenses incurred by the landlord on rented residential properties, for a maximum of two rental properties. Full details are set out in Section 32 of the Finance Act 2022.

It should also be noted that the Housing for All plan commits to the retrofitting of 36,500 local authority homes by 2030 as part of the achievement of the Climate Action Plan retrofit targets.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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169. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the percentage of successful applicants for the warmer homes scheme that come from each qualifying social welfare scheme, in tabular form. [22665/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households vulnerable to energy poverty. To date over 150,000 homes have received free upgrades under the scheme, leaving the occupants better able to afford to heat their homes to an adequate level. The primary aim of the scheme is to provide upgrades to those living in, or at risk of, energy poverty. The depth of upgrade has increased significantly in recent years as evidenced by the average value of upgrades completed during Q1 of 2023 at €24,000.

Increased awareness of the improvements to the Warmer Homes Scheme and the multiple benefits of retrofit are driving demand for the scheme. This can be seen in application numbers with over 9,900 applications received in 2022 and 4,407 applications received in the first three months of 2023 alone.

The shares of eligible applicants for the Warmer Homes Scheme per qualifying social welfare scheme for applications received in Quarter 1 2023 are set out below.