Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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4. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a breakdown of the average waiting time for the warmer homes scheme, by county, in each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [39888/25]

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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18. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the plans in place to address the long delays in SEAI warmer homes grant processing times in the Wicklow, Wexford constituency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39952/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 18 together.

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.

The information sought in the question in relation to waiting times under the scheme is an operational matter for the SEAI and is not information held by 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, in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.

My officials continue to work with the SEAI to maximise and accelerate the output of free energy upgrades provided under this important scheme.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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5. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the Government’s retrofitting programme, by county and scheme, in each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [39889/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the average cost to retrofit a home, by scheme, in each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [39890/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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7. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of homes retrofitted as part of the Government’s retrofitting programme, by county, in each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [39891/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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8. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of homes retrofitted as part of the Government’s retrofitting programme to a BER standard of B2 or higher in each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; the proportion of which this is over the 2030 target; and the proportion of these that were retrofitted under the warmer homes scheme. [39892/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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9. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of homes retrofitted with a heat pump as of the Government’s retrofitting programme to a BER standard of B2 or higher, by scheme, in each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [39893/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 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 oireachtas@seai.ie .

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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10. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government for an updates on the efforts to date to “support group retrofitting projects” as outlined in the Programme for Government; the number of homes to date that have been retrofitted as part of “group retrofitting projects”; the motivation for this policy measure; and the learnings derived to date. [39894/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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11. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress to date on the commitment in the Programme for Government to “Build on the pilot schemes and develop a mechanism to allow private homes in social housing estates to opt into retrofitting projects at an adjusted cost, creating a fair opportunity for all residents”; and to report on said pilot schemes, including when they began, the number of homes that have been retrofitted as part of these pilots, the learnings derived to date; and if a report will be published. [39895/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.

My Department funds a number of grant schemes administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners, businesses and communities improve 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 installations.

The Community Energy Grant Scheme supports cross-sectoral, partnership approaches that deliver energy savings to a range of building types, including public, commercial and community buildings with a particular focus on using the projects to deliver home retrofits, encompassing energy-poor, private, rental, and approved housing body homes.

In 2024, the Community Energy Grant Scheme commenced an initiative to examine area-based retrofits, aimed at upgrading homes in an integrated way in a specific geographical area. This project is still in its initial phase of implementation with the SEAI advising that to date, 80 homes across two area-based projects have been contracted under the scheme.

The area-based projects encourage Community Energy Grant project co-ordinators, local authorities and local energy agencies to collaborate to target mixed ownership local authority estates to harness local interest and participation.

These projects aim to:

• encourage homeowners, regardless of requirements or means, to get a retrofit, with the objective of leaving no home behind;
• provide local guidance and support to undertake projects and throughout their implementation;
• give homeowners the confidence to act – the neighbourhood effect;
• provide project management within the community;
• deliver economies of scale in terms of pricing from an integrated project; and
• remove the administrative burden allowing for ease of access to grants.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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12. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of households that have accessed the home energy upgrade loan scheme, by local authority and by county; the average award of each loan to date; the number of homes retrofitted using the home energy upgrade loan scheme; and their pre- and post-BER ratings, in each of the years since first it was introduced. [39898/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme was launched in April 2024. The scheme is intended to play a crucial role in helping homeowners invest in energy upgrades to make their homes warmer, healthier and more comfortable, with lower emissions and lower bills.

The scheme was developed by my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Finance, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund.

Under this Government-backed €500 million scheme, which is the first of its kind for both Ireland and the EIB Group, homeowners can borrow from €5,000 to €75,000 at significantly lower interest rates to those currently on the market because of the combination of an EIB Group loan guarantee and a Government-funded interest rate subsidy.

The scheme is available nationwide. PTSB was the first lender to join in April 2024, with AIB and Bank of Ireland joining in June. Avant Money (in partnership with An Post Money) launched under the scheme in February 2025, and seven credit unions from the Irish League of Credit Unions began offering loans in April 2025. Rates start from as low as 2.99% (pricing varies depending on the finance provider).

Loan uptake reached 355 by end Q1 2025. The average energy uplift for completions under the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme is 80%.

The Deputy may wish to note that as uptake figures in certain counties mean that it could be possible to identify individual homeowners, county figures have not been disclosed. Instead, uptake figures by region are provided as follows:

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government for an update on the commitment in the Programme for Government to “Consider the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term”; to report on the progress on this; and the conclusions that have been drawn to date. [39899/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The National Heat Study, published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, recommended that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for heating systems in decarbonising buildings, with district heating also being an option that can be widely deployed. However, the Heat Study also recognised the potential role for sustainable bioenergy for buildings that require alternative routes to decarbonisation, and that is being considered as part of a suite of measures to decarbonise heat.

The Programme for Government 2025 commits to targeting older homes still using oil to switch to renewable heating systems and to consider the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term. These commitments are framing the work underway to develop a Heat Policy Statement and the Roadmap to Phase Out Fossil Fuel heating systems.

My Department is also working on the introduction of a Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) for the heat sector. Under current proposals, the RHO will obligate suppliers of all fossil fuels used for heating purposes to ensure a proportion of the energy they supply is renewable. As such, all renewable fuels, including bioliquids used for heat that satisfy the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive, will be considered eligible for certification under the scheme. My Department is bringing the RHO Heads of Bill to Government and once approval is formally received by Government, drafting of the RHO primary legislation will commence.

Furthermore, a Heat Policy Statement will set out Ireland's overarching approach to decarbonising the heat sector. A draft statement, informed by the findings of the National Heat Study, has been prepared by my Department and has undergone extensive consultation with other Government Departments and Agencies. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Report is being completed, and a public consultation on the SEA Report and the draft Heat Policy Statement will be undertaken shortly. Following completion of the consultation process, my Department will submit the draft Heat Policy Statement to Government for approval and publication.