James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

152. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to examine a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42272/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In February last year, the Government approved a package of supports aimed at making it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills and lower emissions.

The supports included a new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme which offers increased grant levels of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with a heat pump. Under the SEAI home energy upgrade schemes, the general principle applies whereby grant funding can only be issued once per measure per property.

However, under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, a homeowner may be permitted to avail of a second grant for a measure where it is recommended in the One Stop Shop (OSS) Home Energy Assessment to achieve the B2 and heat pump target. In cases where the OSS determines through the Home Energy Assessment and Heat Loss Indicator assessment that a second wall insulation is required to meet the heat pump requirement, then grant support for a second measure is permitted as follows:

- Internal Wall Insulation is eligible where cavity has previously been funded.

- External wall insulation is eligible where either cavity or internal wall insulation has been funded.

As part of the enhanced SEAI retrofit supports launched last year, the heat pump grant was significantly increased with grant support for an air to water heat pump increasing from €3,500 to up to €6,500. For homeowners undertaking a deep retrofit with a heat pump under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (NHEUS) or the Community Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme, additional grant support is available towards required heating system upgrades, as well as a bonus payment of €2,000 to eligible homeowners. This equates to a potential grant support of up to €10,500 available to homeowners upgrading to a heat pump as part of a deep retrofit project. Grants for windows and doors are also available as part of a wider upgrade under the NHEUS and CEG schemes. 

Further information on the grants available from SEAI under the One-Stop-Shop scheme can be found on their website: seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/one-stop-shop/

Applications under SEAI schemes are an operational matter for the SEAI. As Minister, I have no function with regard to individual grant applications. SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly, in line with SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is: oireachtas@seai.ie

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

153. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are plans to re-introduce a grant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42358/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department funded the SEAI Dairy Farm Grant Pilot Scheme for a three year period from 2017-2019, supporting variable speed drives in vacuum and milk pumps.

In total the scheme supported 228 farms to a total of €931,940, delivering savings of 288 tCO2 and 740MWh. The scheme was discontinued after the pilot period.

The SEAI still fund this technology via other schemes, such as the Community Energy Grant and as a result, there are no plans to develop a new dedicated scheme for this technology.