Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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81. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the breakdown of community energy grant funding awarded, broken down by eligible category in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36278/24]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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82. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the breakdown of community energy grant funding drawn down, broken down by eligible category in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36279/24]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the breakdown of funding awarded to commercial organisations under the community energy grant fund, broken down by property type; the average grant that was awarded, broken down by property type; the average amount of funding that was drawn down, broken down by property type in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36280/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 82 and 83 together.

The Communities Energy Grant is part of the Government's National Retrofit Programme aimed at upgrading building stock and facilities to high standards of energy efficiency and renewable energy usage, thereby reducing fossil fuel usage, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Scheme supports cross-sectoral and community-oriented partnership approaches that deliver energy savings to a range of building types including public, commercial and community buildings with a particular focus on using the projects to deliver home retrofits.

In 2023 under the CEG scheme 19 contracts closed delivering 601 home energy upgrades and 300 non-domestic upgrade projects. The capital spend on the Community Energy Grant Scheme in 2023 was €27 million. The home energy upgrades included 68 Approved Housing Body homes and 44 energy poor homes.

With a full-year budget of €45 million, the CEG scheme has to end August 2024 delivered 387 home energy upgrades to BER B2 or better and 108 non-domestic projects.

Further information on expenditure and output and associated costs for each SEAI Retrofit programme for 2023 and Quarter 1 2024 can also be found on the SEAI website at:

The report for Quarter 2 2024 will be published shortly on the SEAI website.

The specific additional data sought by the Deputy in relation to the breakdown of funding under each eligible category including to commercial organisations is not routinely provided to my Department by SEAI. 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.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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85. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the breakdown of the funding drawn down by renewable energy communities in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36283/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 169 of 14 December 2023. The Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) Community Enabling Framework was launched in 2022. It provides a range of supports, including grant funding of potentially up to €180,000, offered from SEAI to community renewable energy projects, to help them participate in the RESS. To date, two community projects (both under RESS 1 in 2022) have received €40,000 each in grant funding.

The funding allocated enables SEAI to deploy a number of capacity-building supports including an information warehouse, trusted intermediary and advisor services, and financial grant supports, all of which are vital to support community owned renewable energy projects to be built.

My Department is working closely with the SEAI and community groups to assess the barriers to community energy projects, to ensure a long term sustainable future for the community energy sector in Ireland.

Community projects will now transition to the non-competitive Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS), enabling community projects to maximise their participation in the energy transition.

The first phase of SRESS was launched in July 2023. This sees both SRESS and the Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) providing support to communities, larger businesses, farms, and public buildings, with grants that support solar installations. These non-domestic scheme grants are supporting renewables self-consumers to invest in systems of up to 1MW in size.

The export tariff phase of SRESS, is due to open for applications by the end of the year, and will be a major step forward in supporting the community energy sector.