Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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140. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he or the SEAI have plans to change the qualifying criteria for the warmer homes scheme including that the home must be built pre-2006, given the number of years the scheme has been in operation and that many of the houses built since 2006 are now in need of retrofit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26936/25]

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 at risk of 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, an 11-fold increase on the 2020 expenditure figure.

The scheme targets support to those living in the least efficient homes so that the resources available can have the greatest impact on homes in, or at risk of, energy poverty. The year of build requirement is in place as homes constructed after 2006 are generally more energy efficient than those built before then due to the energy performance requirements of the 2003 Building Regulations.

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.

Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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141. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current waiting times for the warmer homes scheme; the average waiting time in May 2024; the plans to reduce these waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26937/25]

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, 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.

The average wait time in Q2 2024 was 17 months for Priority 1 homes (homes with the lowest Building Energy Ratings of E, F and G) and 20 months for Priority 2 homes (all other homes). The average wait time in Q1 2025 was 21 months for Priority 1 homes and 22 months for Priority 2 homes. These times are from initial application to completion of works. Information on waiting times in Q2 2025 will be available in Q3.

It is important to note that these averages represent a significant reduction since 2022 when the average waiting time was 26 months. 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 (~12,000 in 2024 vs ~2,800 in 2021) and greater volume of deeper retrofits being 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.