Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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325. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the actions being taken to reduce the average waiting list for the warmer homes scheme. [21170/25]

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. As reported by the SEAI, 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 the SEAI indicates has increased from €2,600 in 2015 to just under €29,000 in Q1 of 2025. These deeper upgrades mean that more lower income homeowners are benefitting significantly from warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills and reduced emissions. However, it is important to acknowledge that deeper retrofits take longer to complete. Notwithstanding this, significant reductions in the average waiting time have still been achieved, with the average time reduced from 26 months in 2022 to 21 months for homes with BER ratings of E, F and G in Q1 2025. The reduction in waiting times follows a range of measures introduced by my Department and the SEAI. These include the allocation of additional staff to the Warmer Homes Scheme, a significantly increased budget allocation, active contract engagement and management by the SEAI to increase contractor output, as well as actions to address ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures.

Given the very high number of applications and greater volume of deeper retrofits provided under the scheme, the SEAI is projecting that new applications may face longer waiting times. My officials and the SEAI continue to keep waiting times under review, and to work to deliver energy upgrades to low-income households and reduce the waiting times for the Warmer Homes Scheme as a priority.

Applicants can contact the SEAI at any time to get further information on the status of their application either by email or by telephone – details are on the SEAI website. Oireachtas members can make queries on behalf of applicants by contacting the dedicated email address oireachtas@seai.ie.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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326. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he plans to review the warmer homes scheme to ensure it provides flexibility to support homeowners. [21171/25]

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 carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund.

Last year saw a record spend of almost €230 million under the scheme. As reported by the SEAI, 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, representing an 11-fold increase on the 2020 expenditure figure.

There are a number of home energy improvements offered as part of the scheme. The upgrades that will be recommended for a property will depend on many factors, including the age, size, type and condition of the property. For each eligible home, the SEAI’s technical surveyor will determine which upgrades can be undertaken and funded.

The measures which are available were selected as the most likely to deliver significant energy savings to homeowners as well as the best value for money for the Exchequer. The grant schemes provided by the SEAI are reviewed on a regular basis and are informed by ongoing pilots such as the Traditional Homes Pilot and the Warmer Homes Heat Pump Pilot.

The Warmer Homes scheme targets support to those in energy poverty and living in the least efficient homes so that the resources available can have the greatest impact. My Department and the SEAI will continue to ensure that grant schemes terms and conditions, eligibility criteria and rates are kept under review taking account of demand, research, innovation, evolving technology and other relevant factors.