Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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345. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether she intends to expand the national energy efficiency upgrade pilot for schools; what other measures are available for schools to assist with the cost of installing energy upgrades, such as insulation, solar panels, and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5813/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My department is leading an ambitious sustainability agenda and has progressed a wide array of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings as part of our work towards 2030 and 2050 climate targets. This performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design, specification and delivery. My departments policy is supported by a strong research programme with fifty-six research programmes at various stages.

It is a priority for Government to deliver on Ireland’s ambitious climate agenda and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the the department’s which was published in 2023 and updated in 2024.

A key initiative of my department is to establish a national energy profile of all schools. Phase 1 of the energy inventory profile (which comprised all schools across five counties) is complete and the Department has been approved funding for the final phase from REPowerEU. This phase is underway and involves energy assessors gathering focused information on energy use, building types, age, and size along with an overview of general fabric and energy aspects of electrical and mechanical systems in approximately 3,300 schools. This energy inventory profile of the full school estate will facilitate strategic decision-making by the department on priorities for future capital investment in schools.

My department has also developed the Schools PV Programme. The Schools PV Programme provides eligible schools with up to 6 kilowatts peak of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) installations on their roofs, which equates to approximately 14 solar panels.

The Schools PV Programme is funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund in line with the Government’s recognition that taking action on climate change is central to Ireland’s social and economic development. The overall programme will see up to 24 megawatts of installed renewable energy provision on schools with associated savings in the region of €5.5 million per year across up to 4,000 schools.

As well as the obvious financial and climate benefits, the visibility of the solar panels on schools is also delivering the added benefit of encouraging discussion and uptake of the technology in the wider community. The installation of solar PV panels schools directly assists schools to reduce their carbon emissions and energy costs, while also educating pupils and the wider school community about the benefits of solar technology.

Since the launch of the programme in November 2023, more than 3,300 schools have been progressed to tender stage with more than 1,030 installations confirmed as completed so far.

In 2009, my department provided 100% funding which saw significant investment through the Energy Efficiency Insulation Scheme 2009 and the Water Conservation Scheme 2010.

My department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications have also developed a jointly funded school sector decarbonisation pathfinder programme. It is administered by the Planning and Building Unit in my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in partnership with devolved delivery support from Limerick and Clare Education Training Board, and Longford and Westmeath Education Training Board.

This pathfinder programme is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options for schools, which will be tried and tested. It is providing valuable development information for a solution driven delivery strategy which will be founded on a solid evidence base that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the school sector.

The pathfinder is paving the way for, and informing a larger schools national programme for the energy retrofit of schools and will play a key part of meeting delivery of the Climate Action Plan. The next step is to create an accurate scalable model for resourcing and delivery for across the school sector. To date 62 schools are complete with a further 15 in progress.

Funding has also been secured from REPowerEU to fund an expanded school pathfinder decarbonisation and retrofit programme over 2025. A total of 40 schools have been selected for initial assessment based on their building profile for the programme and are all currently at Stage 2 design phase.

My department is also reviewing options for a Summer Works Programme with a climate action focus. The Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is designed to enable schools to carry out small and medium scale building works that improve and upgrade existing school buildings.