Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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28. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the communication processes in place to ensure that households on the Priority Services Register are made aware of their eligibility for government funded solar PV installation. [67430/25]

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 such as dialysis machines or respirators. As a result, 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 2 kWp solar PV system including survey/design, supply, installation, and the post works BER. It is important to note that suppliers, who manage the administrative aspects of the scheme under the SEAI, issue offers to eligible homeowners in batches.

The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable Scheme was designed in 2022 using the Households/MPRNs on the Life Support Category of the Priority Services Register as maintained by ESB Networks 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 as the eligibility criteria are revised, and qualifying homeowners are identified to benefit from the scheme.