Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 139 together.

The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. A range of measures have been introduced under the Retrofit Plan in recent years to support the achievement of our targets. These include:

• enhanced SEAI grant schemes with simplified application processes and faster approvals, including a greater focus on heat pumps;
• a reformed Warmer Homes Scheme for homeowners in energy poverty with expanded eligibility, increased depth of retrofit, a prioritisation of the worst performing homes, and a higher number of homes supported; and
• the establishment of a network of 24 SEAI registered One Stop Shops, with further growth in the network expected this year.

The deployment of district heating at scale, particularly in densely populated areas with readymade heat sources located nearby, is a key Government objective under the Climate Action Plan and a component in meeting the built environment sectoral emissions ceiling. The general scheme of the proposed Heat Bill has been approved by Government and the development of this legislation will pave the way for the growth of a district heating industry in Ireland that will be highly efficient and low carbon.

To further support the decarbonisation of the heat sector, Government has also agreed to the introduction of the Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) and approved the general scheme of the proposed legislation. The RHO will obligate suppliers over a certain threshold to ensure a proportion of the energy they supply for heating purposes is renewable. This will be across all gaseous, liquid and solid fuels used for heat under current proposals, and all renewable fuel fulfilling the Renewable Energy Directive criteria will be deemed eligible under the scheme, including wood pellets.

The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) does not offer carbon credits, but does provide financial support for biomass-based heating systems in non-residential sectors. The SSRH provides operational support (i.e. an on-going tariff payment for up to 15 years) for biomass heating systems. As currently structured, the scheme offers financial support for the adoption of renewable heating systems by commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating (heat source only) and other non-domestic heat users.