Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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631. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of local authority homes that were retrofitted under the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme in 2024, broken down by local authority and property type; how this compares to the programme's targets for the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17274/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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632. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether the Government intends to increase funding for the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for local authority housing in 2025 in light of inflation and rising construction costs, to ensure that retrofit targets can be met without scaling back ambition or delaying works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17275/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 631 and 632 together.

The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a minimum BER rating of B2. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme over the period 2021 to 2030 inclusive.

The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit, ranging from those requiring minor levels of works to properties needing the maximum level of retrofitting required to bring them to a B2 BER rating. Works eligible under my Department's revised Energy Efficient Retrofit Programme include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works.

An annualised breakdown of the units retrofitted is available on my Department's website at the following links:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/, and

www.gov.ie/en/publication/b86b3-midlands-energy-retrofit-programme-expenditure-and-units/.

Full details in relation to delivery under the 2024 EERP will be published across all local authorities on the above links presently.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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633. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government in light of the ESRI report "Exploring Investment Requirements for Energy Efficiency Upgrades in the Private Rental Sector", which underscores the scale of investment needed and the challenges specific to the rental sector, when the Government intends to implement the minimum BER standard for private rental properties as committed to in Housing for All, with a target start date of 2025; and what steps are being taken to ensure the timeline is met in a way that protects tenants, supports retrofitting with tenants in situ and avoids unintended consequences such as evictions or rent inflation. [17276/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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634. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government in light of the ESRI estimate that €7-8 billion will be required to bring private rental housing up to a B2 energy rating, how the Government intends on meeting this investment need, and whether a funding strategy is being developed to ensure the rollout of minimum BER standards proceeds on schedule, while ensuring tenants are protected from rent increases or displacement during retrofit works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17277/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 633 and 634 together.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published a research paper in February 2025, which explores the investment requirements for energy efficiency upgrades in the private rental sector. The research was funded by my Department, under a joint programme the Department operates with the ESRI. The ERSI’s research is a valuable contribution to our understanding of future investment requirements to ensure the appropriate energy efficiency upgrades in the private rental sector. This information will support the development of future policy and actions to improve the energy efficiency of housing stock in the private rental market.

The findings from this published ESRI report will feed into further research in this area and wider consideration at Government level of the current and future supports required to upgrade energy efficiency in the residential private rental sector, aimed at both improving the quality of housing stock available to rent and contributing to meeting our overall national climate targets in relation to emissions reduction. The appropriate balance will need to be struck between improving the energy efficiency of the rental stock and the potential impact any intervention may have on the private rental market, particularly around availability of accommodation.