Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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133. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total funding drawn down as part of the better energy warmer homes scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54966/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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134. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated total cost to increase the capital funding for better energy warmer homes scheme by 50%. [54967/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total funding allocated to the better energy warmer homes scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and in Budget 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54968/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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136. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total funding allocated to the better energy warmer homes scheme in Budget 2024, as per the revised estimates. [54969/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding allocated to sustainable energy communities in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and in Budget 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55033/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 to 136, inclusive, and 166 together.

The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households vulnerable to energy poverty. The budget allocation for the Scheme this year is €148.5 million (full details of the annual capital allocations and expenditure under the Scheme since 2020 are provided in the table below). Based on this year's allocation, a 50% increase in capital funding for the Scheme would cost €74.25 million, bringing the total cost to €222.75 million.

Increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit and improvements to the Warmer Homes Scheme are driving increased levels of demand for the scheme and consequently increased spend on the Scheme. It should also be noted that the scheme has been delivering a greater volume of deeper and more complex upgrades in recent years. This is reflected in the average cost of upgrades which have increased from €2,600 in 2015 to €24,000 in 2023.

In the period since 2020 to date in 2023 almost 13,300 households have been supported under the Scheme. Of these, over 5,300 homes have been upgraded this year to end-November. The scheme is working towards upgrading 6,000 homes by the end of the year. My officials continue to work with the SEAI to maximise and accelerate output of free energy upgrades.

Detail of the capital funding allocation and capital funding expenditure under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme for the period 2020-2023 is set out in the table below. It is important to note that expenditure in respect of the calendar years 2020 and 2021 was significantly impacted by restrictions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) Programme supports the low carbon energy transition by developing skills and capacity, at a community level, in determining 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.

The SEC process consists of 3 core steps of "Learn" (the SEC Network), "Plan" (the Energy Master Plan Partnership) and "Do". Under this latter stage, the SECs access the various SEAI energy efficiency grants, notably the Community Energy Grant Scheme, to help them progress their identified projects.

The National Retrofit Plan sets a target of 1,500 member communities in the SEC Network by 2030. Under the Plan, SECs will be supported by Government to continue to expand their roles as ‘activators’ in their communities. Most recent figures from SEAI show there are 815 SEC members in the network and 108 new SECs have been established so far this year, exceeding the target of 100.

For the years 2020 and 2021 the SEC Programme was funded from within the Better Energy Communities Scheme budget. In 2022 and 2023 SECs were funded from within the Community Activation Fund budget.

Detail of the capital funding allocation and capital funding expenditure for the Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) Programme/Community Activation Fund for the period 2020-2023 is set out in the table below.

The funding allocations to each SEAI scheme are currently being finalised as part of the preparation of the Revised Estimates Volume for 2024 (REV 2024), determining the European Regional Development Plan allocation for 2024 and the 2024 SEAI business planning process.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the average cost of achieving a B2 BER cost optimum standard in the better energy warmer homes scheme in 2022 and 2023. [54970/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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138. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the average cost of achieving a B2 BER cost optimum standard in the across all SEAI schemes in 2022 and 2023. [54971/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 138 together.

The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by the end of 2030.

In February 2022, the Government approved a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills.

In 2022, 8,481 homes supported under the SEAI schemes were upgraded to a post works BER B2 or better. This is almost double the 2021 levels. More detailed information is available in the SEAI Home Energy Upgrades 2022 Annual Report available at: www.seai.ie/publications/SEAI-Retrofit-Annual-Report-2022.pdf. To date, in 2023, the number of homes upgraded to a BER B2 currently stands at almost 15,800 across all SEAI schemes, equating to a 85% increase on 2022 levels.

The costs of a retrofit/home energy upgrade depends on a range of factors including the size and type of home as well as the age and starting condition of the property and the retrofitting works required or recommended. Depending on the scheme the retrofit can consist of a single energy efficiency measure, multiple measures or a whole home upgrade to B2 and the costs will vary accordingly.

Furthermore, the works costs are based on declarations from the homeowners and contractors. The costs can vary depending on the factors outlined above. Additionally, homeowners may carry out non-grant aided/non energy related works as part of the same upgrade. Therefore, the costs set out below may be in excess of the costs relating to the retrofit works only. The amounts paid out per grant-aided measure by SEAI are fixed irrespective of the costs declared.

The SEAI Q3 2023 Performance Report on the residential and community energy efficiency schemes shows that under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, the average cost of works to upgrade a property to a post BER of B2 or better and achieve a 100kWh/m2/yr for a private home is €62,099 (average cost after the grant is €39,388). For Approved Housing Body properties, the average cost of works is €28,795 (average cost after the grant is €13,169). More detailed information is available at: www.seai.ie/publications/SEAI-Retrofit-Quarterly-Report-Q3-2023.pdf

The Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to households at risk of energy poverty. The depth of retrofits delivered under the scheme in recent years can be seen in the increase in the average cost of the upgrades which has risen from €2,600 in 2015 to €24,000 in 2023. The most recent data from SEAI shows that in the first half of 2023, the average cost of a deep retrofit was €25,660 and €40,550 for a deep retrofit with heating system.

The average cost of achieving a B2 BER cost optimum standard in the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme is not routinely reported by SEAI to my Department, therefore I have asked for this data to be sent to the Deputy directly by SEAI as soon as possible.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost to increase the domestic solar PV budget by 50%. [54973/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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159. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the domestic solar PV budget in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55012/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 159 together.

The Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installation under the Climate Action Plan 21. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for Solar PV installations, which are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Domestic applicants can currently avail of grants up to a maximum of €2,400.

The SEAI maintains data regarding the financing and functioning of the Domestic Solar PV scheme and the previous pilot scheme it replaced in 2022, and has facilitated the information in response to your question. Past allocations of capital and current funding to the SEAI in respect of the Domestic Solar PV scheme are as follows:

Due to high grant uptake levels, the initial capital allocations in 2020, 2022 and 2023 were exceeded, requiring the provision of additional funds, bringing the total supports provided to:

Increasing the allocation for the Domestic Solar PV scheme by 50%, based on the 2023 outturn, would therefore require capital funding of €79,350,000.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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140. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost to double the allocation to the climate action fund. [54975/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide a breakdown of funding drawn from the climate action fund in 2020, 2021, 2022 and in 2023, including details of proposed purpose of each project, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54976/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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142. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount allocated to the climate action fund in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and in Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54977/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 142, inclusive, together.

The Climate Action Fund (CAF) does not receive a Voted allocation. It receives income from multiple sources as set out below. Increases in revenues paid into the CAF are dependent on external factors. For example, income from the NORA Levy would require either an increase in the levy rate or an increase in oil use across the country. Increasing the income from flight emissions offsets would require either an increase in flights taken by officials or in the offset rate applied to flights. Additional income can be transferred into the CAF but must follow the requirements set out in the NORA Act.

Income from the NORA levy for 2023 is expected to be received by the end of this year and the figure shown is an estimate only. Similarly, 2023 income relating to flight emissions offsets will not be known until next year.

As the CAF was only established in 2020 there is no recorded expenditure from the fund in that year.

The details of the revenues paid into the CAF are provided below in tabular format.

(*estimate only)

The table below sets out expenditure from the CAF for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023 to date with a brief description of the purpose of each project.