Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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211. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of approvals for and drawdowns of the home energy upgrade scheme loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51725/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme (HEULS), which launched in April 2024, 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. It 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) and the European Investment Bank Group.

The scheme is available nationwide and homeowners can borrow from €5,000 to €75,000 on an unsecured basis for a term of up to 10 years at significantly lower interest rates to those currently on the market. Rates start from as low as 2.99% with price varying depending on the finance provider. PTSB was the first lender to join in April 2024, with AIB and Bank of Ireland joining in June 2024. In 2025 the group of participating lenders has been expanded to include Avant Money (in partnership with An Post) and seven credit unions from the Irish League of Credit Unions.

Loan applications are processed, validated and approved by the participating finance providers. Only loans that have been drawn down under the Scheme are uploaded by the finance providers to the SBCI's reporting system. The numbers of loans drawn down are reported by SBCI to the Department on a quarterly basis.

As of the end of June 2025, there were 580 loans drawn down to a value of €28.5 million.

In line with the Programme for Government, in addition to expanding the number of lenders under the scheme, a key focus of my Department across 2025 has been the continued promotion of the Scheme to drive uptake. The Department has engaged with the SEAI, the SBCI and several lenders to examine and identify opportunities to further promote the scheme. This also includes the progression of a marketing and communications campaign to scale up activity in the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme.