Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are plans to introduce stand-alone grants, outside of the One Stop Shop, for retrofitting windows and doors in homes. [14040/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.

Grant support for window and door replacement is available under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (One Stop Shop service) as well as under the Community Energy Grant Scheme as part of a whole home upgrade solution. When a homeowner is completing a whole home energy upgrade under these schemes, the overall fabric of the property is assessed through the home energy survey and assessment. The assessment may recommend particular measures, including windows and doors, to ensure that home achieves a B2 rating or is suitable for installation of a heat pump.

The Warmer Homes Scheme provides fully-funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty. In certain circumstances window upgrades may be recommended following a survey and provided where suitable. Eligibility for the Warmer Homes Scheme requires applicants to be in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection payments.

SEAI schemes do not fund windows and doors upgrades as a single measure. The vast majority of homes in Ireland that have inefficient windows also have walls and/or roofs with low levels of insulation. Upgrading the wall and/or roof insulation would typically be of a greater benefit to a homeowner in terms of energy saving than upgrading windows and so the grants for individual measures are directed towards higher priority measures that are of greater benefit.

My officials engage with their counterparts in the SEAI on an ongoing basis in relation to the operation of the schemes and, as part of this engagement, will progress the Programme for Government commitment to improve the provision of grants and financing models for homeowners who wish to retrofit, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing costs.