Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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162. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of homes in Clare that have applied for the warmer homes scheme, broken down by year; and the number that have been deemed ineligible. [8727/25]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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163. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if houses older than 1940 can be considered under the warmer homes scheme; and if not, what the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland recommends for the property owners; and the number of houses that have been deemed ineligible due to being older than 1940. [8728/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in energy poverty by providing fully-funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund. In 2024, over 7,740 homes were upgraded under the scheme.

The SEAI advise that it does not exclude pre-1940 homes from applying to the scheme. However, all of the SEAI approaches are determined by the Building Regulations, incorporating the NSAI S.R.54: 2014 Code of Practice for the energy efficient retrofit of dwellings. For each eligible home, an SEAI technical surveyor will determine which upgrades can be installed and funded. These can include:

• Attic insulation and appropriate ventilation
• Wall insulation and appropriate ventilation – cavity wall, external wall or dry lining depending on the property
• Secondary measures – lagging jackets, draughtproofing, and energy efficient lighting
• In certain circumstances: heating system replacements, and window replacements where the wall is being insulated

• The homeowner did not want the works to go ahead (e.g. did not want ventilation installed so insulation cannot be installed)
• No works were possible under the scheme:
  • Pre-1940s build where there was no wall insulation possible in extensions, and the attic was already insulated
  • Dormer roof and walls were already insulated
  • The home was already insulated (had a higher BER rating) and insulation was already at the level targeted by the scheme
• Unable to contact the homeowner
• Year of construction (built and occupied in 2006 or later)
• Other (e.g. access; health and safety)

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timeline of the warmer homes scheme (WHS), from application stage to delivery stage; the number of contracting companies currently contracted to carry out works under the WHS; and if there are short-term plans to increase this number. [8729/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in energy poverty by providing fully-funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund.

Last year saw a record spend of almost €230 million under the scheme. This resulted in 7,743 upgrades being provided to low-income households, a 31% increase on 2023. This year’s budget includes an allocation of €280 million for the Warmer Homes Scheme. This represents an 11-fold increase on the 2020 expenditure figure.

The scheme has been delivering a greater number of deeper and more complex upgrades in recent years. This is reflected in the average cost of upgrades which has increased from €2,600 in 2015 to over €27,700 in 2024. While these deeper retrofits take longer to complete, significant reductions in the average waiting time have still been achieved. The average waiting time reduced from 26 months in 2022 to 18 months for homes with BER ratings of E, F and G in 2024.

The reduction in waiting times follows a range of measures introduced by the Department and the SEAI including:

• the SEAI has been allocated additional staff for the Warmer Homes Scheme;
• the budget allocation has been significantly increased;
• the SEAI has worked to increase contractor output through active contract engagement and management; and
• actions have been taken to address ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures.