Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

76. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for the breakdown of the funding provided for community energy grants in each of the years 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28295/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

83. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which real estate investment trust (REIT)-owned residences have availed of the SEAI’s retrofitting scheme; the number of REIT-owned properties that have been retrofitted under the SEAI various schemes, broken down by scheme in the years 2021 to 2024, and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28304/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

84. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the breakdown of the real estate investment trusts (REIT) that have availed of the SEAI retrofitting schemes; the breakdown of the total value awarded to each REIT, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28305/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 83 and 84 together.

The Communities Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme is part of the Government's National Retrofit Programme. The primary objective of the scheme is to support and maximise the number of home energy upgrades delivered. Non-domestic projects are also supported to encourage broader community engagement and mobilisation.

Other objectives include:

• building capacity by working with project co-ordinators on large-scale and complex projects;

• supporting cross-sectoral, partnership approaches targeting public, private, commercial and community buildings;

• helping develop the retrofit supply chain;

• building relationships with communities and businesses; and

• developing community project management capacity.

The 2024 guidelines for the scheme set out the supports available to upgrade Multi-Unit Dwellings (MUDs). MUDs owned by Approved Housing Bodies or community organisations can receive 50% of eligible costs. MUDs that are either partially or fully owned by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and/or other commercial landlords can receive 30% of eligible costs in line with other commercial operations under the CEG Scheme.

For 2025, capital funding of €75 million has been allocated to the CEG Scheme. The figures below set out the capital expenditure on the scheme in the period 2020-2024:

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

77. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for the breakdown of the funding provided for domestic solar photovoltaic systems in each of the years 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28296/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

78. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for a breakdown of the funding provided for community solar photovoltaic systems in the years 2020 to 2025, inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28297/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Programme for Government commits to promoting the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) to simplify market access for community owned solar and wind projects.

The deployment of rooftop and ground-based solar PV ensures that a greater share of our electricity needs is met through solar power.

The Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) Community Enabling Framework was launched in 2022. It provides a range of supports, including grant funding of potentially up to €180,000, offered from SEAI to community renewable energy projects, to help them participate in the RESS. To date, two community projects (both under RESS 1 in 2022), including one solar and one wind, have received €40,000 each in grant funding.

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. In that regard, community projects will now transition to the non-competitive Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS).

SRESS provides financial incentives to develop smaller scale solar and wind energy, and was designed with two support mechanisms to suit two distinct cohorts of applicants.

Under SRESS Phase 1, the Non-Domestic Microgen Grant is available for renewables self-consumers above 50 kW and up to 1 MW. Renewables self-consumers are electricity customers who produce renewable electricity for their own use. They may then sell or store any excess electricity that they produce, if electricity generation is not their primary business. A total of 2,884 grant applications have been received and 201 of those grant applications have come from the Community and Sports Sector, amounting to paid and committed funding of nearly €1.85 million amounting to a total installation capacity of over 18 MW.

SRESS Phase 2 targets community, SME and farm export projects above 50kW to 6MW, offering a simpler route to market, with fixed tariffs for solar and wind supported by the Public Service Obligation. All export projects up to 1MW can also apply to SRESS, and need not be communities, SMEs or farmers. The scheme opened for applications on 27 January and is a major step forward in supporting the community energy sector.