Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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154. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of retrofitting grant applications approved, by grant type, by county, since 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38591/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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155. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of homes that have been upgraded through the Better Energy Homes scheme since it began in 2009, by year and main type of upgrade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38592/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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157. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the average waiting time for approval has been under the home energy upgrade scheme since it began, by quarter, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38594/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 155 and 157 together.

My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to support homeowners improving the energy efficiency of their buildings, and to promote the adoption of renewable energy systems. These schemes include grants for the fabric upgrade of buildings (e.g. insulation), as well as solar PV and heat pump installation.

The information sought is an operational matter for the SEAI, an agency under the aegis of my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the SEAI directly in relation to this matter. The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly and in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is 

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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156. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applications that have been made to the Warmer Homes Scheme since 2018; the number that were approved, by year and by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38593/25]

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. As reported by the SEAI, this resulted in 7,743 upgrades being provided to low-income households. This year’s budget includes an allocation of €280 million for the Warmer Homes Scheme. 

These budgets have allowed the scheme to deliver 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. In Quarter 1 of 2025, 1,350 homes were upgraded under the scheme. 

The information sought is an operational matter for the SEAI, an agency under the aegis of my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the SEAI directly in relation to this matter. The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly and in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is  .

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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158. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of public funding that has been allocated to home retrofit grants since 2020, by year and by grant type, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38595/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) manage a number of residential and community energy upgrade grant support schemes on behalf of my Department. These include the Better Energy Homes Scheme; Warmer Homes Scheme; the Community Energy Grant Scheme; the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme through One Stop Shops; and the Solar PV Scheme.

Between 2020 and the end of June 2025, over 188,000 home energy upgrades were supported by the SEAI.

The capital budget in 2025 is a record €558.7 million to support the delivery of 64,500 retrofits this year. 

The table below sets out the annual capital budget allocation to the SEAI's residential and community energy efficiency upgrade schemes under Subhead B4 for the period 2020-2025.

• The National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme includes allocations to the One Stop Shop Development Pilot Scheme in 2021
• The allocation for the Solar PV Scheme for medically vulnerable was included as part of the main Solar PV Scheme in 2023 and 2024
• Better Energy Warmth and Wellbeing closed to applications in 2022 and its budget transferred to the Warmer Homes Scheme from 2023 to ensure all remaining applications received their upgrades
• Nondomestic Microgen was moved to Subhead B5 in 2023
• The Better Energy Finance budget was subsumed into other budget lines after 2020 .