Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) manage a number of residential and community energy upgrade grant support schemes on behalf of my Department, including the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (NHEUS). Under the Scheme, a network of registered One-Stop-Shops (OSSs) provide an end-to-end service for homeowners, which includes surveying; designing the upgrades; managing the grant process; helping with access to finance; engaging contractors; and quality assurance.

There are currently 20 OSSs registered with SEAI. Of these, 2 of the One-Stop-Shops were registered earlier this year, which points to growing confidence in the sector about the future growth prospects of the retrofit market. The SEAI is actively working with other applicant organisations to support them through the registration process. The SEAI will also continue to actively engage with the construction sector, with the aim of getting more companies registered as One-Stop-Shops.

The NHEUS is focused on deep retrofits, which are technically complex. For this reason, SEAI has set an appropriately high bar for companies to register as an OSS, to ensure the quality of the retrofit. It is open to companies operating in general construction/renovation to register as an OSS by applying to the SEAI.

As more OSSs are registered this is creating greater competition in the marketplace as well as affording homeowners greater choice. It is always recommended that a homeowner speaks to several OSSs before making their decision, so that they can choose the company that best suits their budget, timeframe and other considerations, including the need for additional building works.

Information on registration as a One-Stop-Shop can be found on the SEAI website at:

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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93. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment about the process for a firm to be placed on the firms register of retrofitting companies authorised to complete works under the SEAI’s warmer home scheme; what checks are performed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14046/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Warmer Homes Scheme provides fully funded home energy upgrades to homeowners in receipt of certain social welfare payments. The scheme is delivered through a panel of contractors who are paid directly by SEAI for the various works provided under the scheme.

The current panel was established following a competitive tender process which was finalised in September 2023. Thirty-six contractors were placed on the panel with all successful tenderers required to sign up to a Framework Agreement with SEAI. The Framework Agreement sets out the rules that contractors must abide by, once successfully appointed.

These include:

- Being registered or registering to the Better Energy Homes Scheme’s Register of Contractors;

- Being subject to SEAI’s Contractor Code of Practice, and to carry out all works in line with SEAI's Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications as well as best practice and technical guidance documents;

- Being subject to the relevant Quality Assurance and Disciplinary Procedures for Contractors;

- Demonstrating tax compliance and insurance cover.

Under the scheme, homes must be available for Building Energy Rating assessments and quality and verification inspections before a home is cleared for payment to a Framework Participant. Trained inspectors carry out quality and verification inspections on selected homes. Homes are selected for inspection on a sample basis using a risk-based approach. Where an inspection identifies defects, Framework Participants will be required to complete reworks in all homes at no cost to SEAI within a reasonable timeline prior to final payment being released. The scheme is aligned with SEAI’s Better Energy Homes Quality Assurance and Disciplinary Procedures for Contractors. This document sets out how those registered are monitored for quality, what is expected of their performance and how they will be dealt with where their quality is not of appropriate standard.

This scheme is a top priority for me and the Government. My officials continue to work with the SEAI to maximise and accelerate the output of free energy upgrades provided under this important scheme.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment about the process for a firm to be placed on the firms register of retrofitting companies authorised to complete works under the SEAI’s OSS scheme; what checks are performed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14047/24]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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95. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment about the process for a firm to be placed on the firms register of retrofitting companies authorised to complete works under the SEAI’s better energy homes scheme; what checks are performed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14048/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 95 together.

My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.

Contractors operating under any scheme supported by an SEAI grant must carry out the works in line with the SEAI’s Contractor Code of Practice and Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications as well as best practice and technical guidance documents including:

· NSAI S.R. 54:2014 Code of practice for the energy efficient retrofit of dwellings

· Building Regulations Technical Guidance Documents

· The System Supplier/Product Manufacturer Guidelines

· Irish Agrément certificates

· Irish, British or European Standards Guides

In addition, contractors are required to demonstrate their tax compliance and insurance cover and cooperate with the scheme's Quality Assurance programme. The Quality Assurance programme has been designed by SEAI to maintain high standards of contractor workmanship; build consumer confidence; monitor health and safety; and ensure proper governance of the spending of public money. Regular inspections, which can take place at pre-payment or post-payment stage, of works are undertaken on a risk-based approach in accordance with international best practice. When sub-standard works are found, contractors are required to rectify the works to the satisfaction of the inspector, at no cost to the homeowner.

A Declaration of Works must be signed by both the homeowner and the contractor certifying completion of works. Post-works Building Energy Ratings are also carried out by independent BER assessors.

Under the provisions of the SEAI Quality Assurance Programme, should a Contractor fail to reach the required standard when following direction on corrective action, then, in accordance with warnings issued, disciplinary action will follow, up to and including deregistration from the SEAI Contractor register.

Details on how to become a registered One Stop Shop can be found on the SEAI website at: www.seai.ie/register-with-seai/one-stop-shop/.

Individual contractors can register with the SEAI for works on other energy upgrade schemes such as Better Energy Homes. More details can be found on the SEAI website at: www.seai.ie/register-with-seai/

SEAI has published a set of guidelines for Contractors on Quality Assurance and Disciplinary Procedures which are available at: www.seai.ie/publications/Better-Energy-Homes-QADP.pdf

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 123 of 20 March 2024, to provide a breakdown of the pre-BER and post-BER rating of solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the SEAI retrofitting programme, broken down by SEAI scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14074/24]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 123 of 20 March 2024, to provide a breakdown of how many solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the SEAI retrofitting programme, were fitted with a heat pump, broken down by SEAI scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14075/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together.

As I advised in Parliamentary Question number 123 of 20 March 2024, to promote and incentivise the achievement of our retrofit targets, the Government has put in place 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.

SEAI domestic retrofit programmes are available to all households, including those reliant on solid fuel for heating, who wish to undertake energy upgrades and who meet the programme criteria.

Retrofitting fossil fuel heated homes and replacing the heating systems with heat pumps and renewable energy systems is a key target of the Climate Action Plan. Budget 2024 has provided approximately €430 million capital funding (includes funding from the European Regional Development Fund) for SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy performance of their properties this year.

The requested breakdown of the pre-BER and post-BER rating of solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the SEAI retrofitting programme, broken down by SEAI scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form is not routinely supplied by SEAI to my Department. It should also be noted that in line with the respective terms and conditions of the various SEAI energy efficiency schemes, not all homeowners are required to have a pre-works Building Energy Rating (BER) to qualify for grant support:

- Better Energy Homes and Solar PV Schemes: homeowners are not required to have a pre-works Building Energy Rating (BER) to qualify for grant support, and for this reason the BER data requested on solid fuel homes is not available for homes upgraded under these schemes.

- Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme: Pre-works BER data is only available from 2023.

- National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme and Community Energy Grant Scheme: A pre-works BER is required for all homes.

I have directed SEAI to reply directly to the Deputy with the data requested, in so far as it is available, as soon as possible.