Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are plans to reinstate the solar PV scheme for medically vulnerable households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26762/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable Scheme is a targeted scheme for installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for customers/households registered on the life support category of the Priority Services Register. These homes have a dependence on electrically powered equipment, including medical equipment, life protecting devices and assistive technologies for example dialysis machines, respirators, etc. As such, these households may have a higher energy demand than the average user and this scheme is designed to go some way towards helping to reduce those energy costs.

The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable scheme was designed in 2022 as an initial pilot programme, with a budget of €20m allocated to provide direct support to approximately 4,000 households who were on the priority register at that time. The date used to determine the number of households eligible for support under this scheme and the required budget was November 2022.

The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in conjunction with Energy Suppliers, with each Energy Supplier contacting their own eligible customers directly, in line with the work plans for their Solar PV Installers. Eligible households can avail of a fully funded 2kWp solar PV system, including survey/design, supply, installation, and the post works BER.

Most Energy Suppliers have agreed to provide the scheme for their customers, with some Suppliers more advanced in their programme than others. SEAI report that 137 systems were installed in 2024. However, with the programme now ramping up, over 160 systems have been installed in the first two months of 2025, with SEAI estimating that over 1,440 will be installed by the end of 2025.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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138. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if it is Government policy to support 100% community owned renewable energy projects in the renewable electricity support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26856/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government committed to promoting the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) to simplify market access for community owned solar and wind projects.

Through the first two Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auctions, my Department provided pathways and supports for communities to participate in renewable energy projects through the application of a community projects category and also through the requirement of a mandatory community benefit fund for all RESS projects.

To ensure genuine community participation in the separate community category of RESS, the definition of a community-led project for the purposes of the first RESS auction included the stipulation that such projects must be at least 51% owned by a Renewable Energy Community (REC). For RESS 2, this was increased to a 100% REC ownership requirement for entry to the community category.

Support for communities for the development of renewable projects has now transitioned to the non-competitive SRESS. The SRESS export phase is designed for community, SME and farm projects above 50kW to 6MW, offering a simpler route to market, with fixed tariffs for solar and wind, aligning more closely to their experience and the capacity of these sectors.

SRESS community projects must at all times be 100% legally and beneficially owned by a REC and at all times 100% of the profits, dividends and surpluses derived from the SRESS project must be returned to the relevant REC.

The scheme opened for applications on 27 January. The SRESS application form, together with the terms and conditions and a non-technical summary, are available on the Department’s website at www.gov.ie/sress.

My Department is working closely with the SEAI and community groups to assess the barriers to community energy projects, to ensure a long term sustainable future for the community energy sector in Ireland.