Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment how much was drawn from the support scheme for renewable heat in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; how many businesses were supported, broken down by intended use, that is, a biomass application versus installation of a heat pump versus additional upgrade measures and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38509/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The SEAI provides a wide range of supports to business across a number of schemes including EXEED, Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH), Community Energy Grant, Support Scheme for Energy Audits, EV Grants, Non-Domestic Microgeneration Grants. In 2022, across all these supports, the SEAI supported over 2,500 businesses, with over €50 million of grant funding.

The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) was developed to financially support and stimulate the adoption of renewable heating systems by commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating and other non-domestic heat users.

These schemes are under regular review and the SSRH was relaunched in March 2023. The scheme now provides for increased support for heat pump installations of up to 40% of costs and support for additional upgrade measures in buildings to facilitate the installation of heat pumps. The SSRH maintained the maximum support for biomass applications at €3.5 million over 15 years and, subject to EU state aid approval, will expand to the Emissions Trading Scheme sector, comprising of large industry and large fossil fuel users. The SEAI has experienced a significant uplift in enquiries since the relaunch of the SSRH, and it is envisaged that applications will follow, as these businesses develop their plans to avail of the scheme supports.

Since 2021 to date, expenditure has exceeded €1.6m, with 32 business benefiting from ongoing operational support and 1 currently received a grant for a Heat Pump.