Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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174. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the plans to reconsider the timeline a person must be registered with the ESB Networks Priority Services Register before being eligible for the SEAI Solar PV for medically vulnerable households scheme; the reason for this time period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55428/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable Scheme is a targeted scheme for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for customers/households who are registered on the life support category of the Priority Services Register. These homes have a dependence on electrically powered equipment, including medical equipment, life protecting devices and assistive technologies for example dialysis machines or respirators. As such, these households may have a higher energy demand than the average user and this scheme is designed to go some way towards helping to reduce those energy costs.

The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in conjunction with Energy Suppliers, with each Energy Supplier contacting their own eligible customers directly in line with the work plans for their Solar PV Installers. Eligible households can avail of a fully funded 2kWp solar PV system including survey/design, supply, installation, and the post works BER. Since the scheme became available, over 470 medically vulnerable homeowners have had installations completed by their supplier.

The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable scheme was designed in using the Households/MPRN’s on the Life Support Category of the Priority Services Register as maintained by ESBN at that time.

Due to the strong uptake and the positive impact already observed in over 470 homes, the scheme is now in the process of being extended to include as eligible all homeowners who are registered under the life support category of the Priority Services Register with their energy supplier, regardless of when they were registered.

Energy suppliers will communicate this update to eligible customers in the coming weeks, as the eligibility criteria are revised, and qualifying homeowners are identified to benefit from the scheme.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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175. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a breakdown of the annual uplift in the funding allocated to retrofitting under the National Development Plan in the years 2020 to 2030, in tabular form. [55773/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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176. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 13 February 2025 (details supplied), and the NDP review, if the allocations remain the same for retrofitting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55768/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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194. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason capital allocation for retrofitting differs from that which was outlined in the 2022 retrofitting plan (details supplied); the reasons for the decrease; if the planned allocations for retrofitting as outlined in the plan between 2027 and 2030 have also been scrapped; if he will provide a breakdown of the new planned capital allocations for retrofitting between now and 2030, in tabular form. [55183/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 175, 176 and 194 together.

The NDP was reviewed earlier this year, with the outcome published in July. My Department welcomes the substantial €5.64 billion allocation under the review, in addition to a landmark €3.5 billion investment in Ireland’s electricity grid infrastructure. Allocations of monies to specific programme areas within Departments and as part of sectoral reviews are still being finalised. Programme allocations, including allocations for the retrofit programme between 2027 and 2030, will be announced in due course.

The Government is committed to driving increased retrofitting and home energy upgrades, as part of the National Retrofit Plan and as set out in the Programme for Government. This includes the continued delivery of the SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes, including delivering more B2 home energy upgrades; revising and improving the provision of grants and financing models for homeowners who wish to retrofit; enhancing energy efficiency and reducing costs; as well as supporting group retrofitting projects and area-based approaches to retrofitting.

We are delivering at scale and pace on our National Retrofit Plan, with €421 million of capital expenditure and almost 54,000 home energy upgrades completed in 2024. In 2025, a record capital budget of over €550 million, (including €469 million in carbon tax revenues) has been allocated to the SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes, including the Solar PV Scheme.

Budget 2026 announced funding of €558 million from the carbon tax for SEAI residential and community energy upgrades, including the Solar PV (photovoltaic) Scheme. This is an €89 million increase on last year’s carbon tax allocation and means that more funding than ever will be available to make homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable, and less expensive to heat. The allocation is expected to be further supplemented with additional funding, such as an allocation from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Further details will be published as part of the Revised Estimates later this year.