Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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173. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the Local Energy Assessment Fund funding for sustainable energy communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22762/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Communities are currently supported by Government to develop plans for local energy projects through the Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) Programme. The programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. There are currently over 752 SECs in the SEC Network with a target to grow this number to 1,500 by 2030.

The Programme supports the low carbon energy transition by developing skills and capacity, at a community level, in assessing how to use less energy, adopting lower carbon options for transport and heating, shifting energy use to off-peak times or investing in smart technologies.

In 2022, co-funding of €500,000 was made available by SEAI and 17 Local Authorities to support 32 communities to undertake energy master plans. These plans allow a community to assess and understand it’s current and future energy needs (in electricity, heat and transport) in order for the community to make informed decisions and prioritise actions. The plans help communities to identify opportunities so they can become more energy efficient, use renewable energy where possible, and use smart energy technology if appropriate.

SECs will continue to be supported by Government to expand their roles as ‘activators’ in their community. Earlier this year, a number of adjustments were made to the entry points of Energy Master Plan grants to offer a more compelling proposition to communities and the consultants that develop the Master Plans. These adjustments will be particularly beneficial for smaller communities. Based on feedback from the network of SECs, and in order to facilitate further local sustainable energy activation, my Department and the SEAI are also working to finalise the development of an approach to better integrate the needs of Sustainable Energy Communities into the design of the Community Energy Grant programmes due for launch later this year.