Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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72. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of the recently released report; (details supplied); his views on the recommendation there was a need for increased funding for the energy renovation of social housing and AHBs; if he plans to increase funding for the retrofitting of social housing and AHBs; if he has plans to include AHBs in his Department’s efforts to retrofit the social housing stock rather than the One Stop Shop scheme run by SEAI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15628/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 75 together.

In 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the Energy Efficient Retrofit Programme (EERP), designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2 (BER)/Cost Optimal Equivalent standard by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes, with grant funding provided by my Department for those local authority housing retrofits.

Under the 2024 EERP programme, my Department funds costs of up to €48,850, plus project management fees, on individual local authority homes. The actual cost of retrofitting works on each home will depend on its pre-works BER. Targets set and funding allocated to local authorities under the new programme calls for local authorities to undertake a variety of house types, from those requiring minimal investment to those requiring major investment, in order to achieve the B2/Cost Optimal BER. Local authorities are asked to ensure that the average cost per home drawn down under the programme is circa €36,500, including project management fees. Adhering to this average will ensure that the maximum number of homes can be retrofitted with the available budget.

My Department does not run an EERP for Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). AHBs have traditionally accessed SEAI grants for this purpose. There are currently no plans to extend my Departments Retrofit Programme to the AHB sector.