Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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98. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the cost of achieving the targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a building energy rating of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less-efficient heating systems by end-2030. [43769/24]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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99. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the annual cost of the retrofit grants provided by the SEAI. [43770/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together.

The Climate Action Plan includes targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. This represents one of the most ambitious retrofit programmes worldwide and is a core element of the Government's plan to reduce emissions from the residential sector.

In order to reach this target, the Climate Action Plan 2023 includes targets to: retrofit the equivalent of 120,000 dwellings to BER B2 or cost optimal equivalent level and install 45,000 heat pumps in existing dwellings in the period 2019-2025.

For the second half of the decade, targets will ramp up significantly to deliver on average, approximately 75,000 B2-equivalent home upgrades per year from 2026 to 2030 to achieve the overall target by the end of the decade.

The National Development Plan and National Retrofit Plan have ring-fenced €8 billion in capital funding to the end of the decade to support the achievement of these objectives.

Budget 2024 has provided an Exchequer allocation of over €429 million in capital funding for SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes (including the Solar PV scheme). This allocation is the highest ever and SEAI is on target to deliver 52,200 home energy upgrades this year including over 20,800 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2 and over 6,300 free upgrades under the SEAI Warmer Homes Scheme.

Budget 2025 includes record funding of €469 million from the Carbon Tax for SEAI residential and community energy upgrades, including the Solar PV scheme. This is an €89 million increase on 2024 and means that more funding than ever will be available to make homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable and less expensive to heat. This will be supplemented by an increased allocation from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), that will increase the Warmer Homes Scheme budget to €240 million. This scheme provides free, fully-funded energy upgrades for low-income households at risk of energy poverty. The targets for retrofits in 2025 will be finalised later this year.