Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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68. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on his Department's retrofitting programme; the reasons solar PV has not comprised a significant component of this programme given the increased popularity and affordability of the technology; if he has plans change this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36896/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030.

An annualised breakdown of the total funding provided and the number of properties upgraded under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit programme for the years 2013-2023 is available on my Department's website at the following link:

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My Department also introduced a pilot Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme in 2020, the details of which are found below. A further 674 properties were retrofitted to a BER of B2/ Cost Optimal Equivalent and these figures are in addition to the National Retrofit Programme.

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Each year the target number of units and funding provided under the EERP are subject to the funding available as part of the National Development Plan and annual Estimates process. The 2024 EERP budget provides an increase in funding support to €90 million to retrofit 2,500 properties. Local authorities have received their individual allocations and work is underway in that regard.

The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit, ranging from those requiring minor levels of works to properties needing the maximum level of retrofitting required to bring them to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent standard. Works eligible under my Department's revised Energy Efficient Retrofit Programme include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. These funded measures achieve B2 or Cost Optimal equivalent (BER) as identified by the 2018 Cost Optimal calculations carried out under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. In certain circumstances, my Department supports the installation of 1kWp solar PV for small social homes with a floor area less than 55 m2, with a maximum HLI of 2.6 on a pilot basis. In such cases local authorities are required to cooperate with SEAI as part of research monitoring the performance of heat pumps in these dwellings. Furthermore, under the Microgeneration Support Scheme led by Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Solar PV is available for all domestic premises.

Work in relation to the 2024 programme is ongoing. Full details in relation to the 2024 Energy Efficiency Programme will be published on my Department’s website early in 2025.