Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the targets for each of the SEAI's retrofitting schemes for heat pump installations in each of the years between 2020 to 2030, in tabular form; how the number of installations compares to the targets in each of the years to date; how the number of installations compares to the targets in 2025 and in 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40356/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Programme for Government and Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal level and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes by end-2030.

The National Retrofit Plan estimates that, between 2019 and 2025, almost 185,000 home energy upgrades will be delivered with over 83,000 to a B2/cost optimal level and includes a target to install 45,000 heat pumps in existing dwellings in the same period. This implies that there will be a need to deliver on average, approximately 75,000 B2-equivalent home upgrades per year from 2026 to 2030 with the majority installing heat pump systems in order to achieve the overall 2030 targets.

A range of measures have been put in place in recent years under the National Retrofit Plan including in 2022 when an enhanced package of SEAI retrofit supports were introduced which saw significant increases in grant supports for energy efficiency measures including the heat pump grant. In addition, two SEAI heat pump pilot schemes are underway, aimed at informing appropriate processes and approaches to increase the number of heat pump installations as well as a range of other initiatives to encourage uptake of heat pumps. Most recently, it was announced as part of Budget 2024 that the VAT rate that applies to heat pumps will fall from 13.5% to 9%. This is the lowest rate allowable under the EU VAT Directive.

In recent years, demand across the SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes has been exceptionally high. Data from SEAI shows that in the period 2020 to end-September 2024 just over 145,000 property upgrades have been supported through the residential and community energy upgrade schemes, including the Solar PV scheme. Of these, almost 48,750 have been upgraded to a post works building energy rating of B2 or better. In the same period over 12,000 heat pumps installations have been supported by SEAI.

In addition, most recent figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage show that in the period 2021-23 there were a further 4,863 heat pumps installed under the Local Authority Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme. This means that almost 17,000 heat pumps have been installed with Government support in recent years.

In relation to the information requested by the Deputy, the following available data has been provided by SEAI and is set out in the attached tables:

• A breakdown of the number of heat pumps installed, per SEAI scheme, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to end September 2024,
• A breakdown of heat pump installation targets, per SEAI scheme, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.