Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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109. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he and SEAI will consider a system of deposit guarantees or a form of a bond system to protect consumers who place significant deposits with solar panel providers and installers and to guard against such businesses going out of business; if he is aware of any significant providers or installers having gone out of business in 2023 and where customers lost deposits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1119/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 109 together.

The Domestic Solar PV scheme operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), provides grant supports to homeowners wishing to increase the proportion of renewable electricity they consume by installing solar panels on their property.

Successful applicants receive grant payments for Solar PV systems installed by registered companies in accordance with the specified terms and conditions. Registration with SEAI does not guarantee or warranty a company or their works and SEAI encourages applicants to shop around, check references and carry out appropriate due diligence on their chosen solar PV company.

Scheme applicants are required to have a contract in place with their chosen solar PV company which provides appropriate levels of consumer protection. Any payment schedules agreed to by the homeowner with their chosen solar PV company, is a contractual matter between those two parties, as is the case for any goods, works and services contracts. As SEAI is not a party to such contracts, they are unable to intervene.

As part of their administration of the solar PV scheme, SEAI maintains a register of solar PV companies who are authorised to complete works under the scheme. To register, companies must demonstrate continued tax compliance, give evidence of requisite insurance cover and commit to installing the works in accordance with the prescribed technical requirements. SEAI does not undertake a financial assessment of companies as this is beyond SEAI’s remit.

There are currently more than 350 solar PV companies on the domestic installation register. SEAI are aware of one significant company going into liquidation in 2023 where deposits may have been lost. SEAI remains available to process grant applications for any homeowners affected by a company going into liquidation, should the applicant choose to proceed with a different registered solar PV company and where no works have been completed, subject to the normal scheme T&Cs.