Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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127. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a breakdown of the funding provided and expanded measures under the national residential retrofitting plan (details supplied); the amount spent on each of these measures; the number of households this expanded support provided to, broken down by each measure and overall, in tabular form [48838/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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128. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline in detail the new and expanded measures he is taking to "providing support for older people accessing home energy retrofits under the Healthy Age Friendly Homes initiative (details supplied) [48840/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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129. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on new pilot schemes focusing on improving options for heat pump technology, including support for high temperature heat pumps; the amount of funding that has been allocated to these pilots; and the amount that has been spent broken down by pilot scheme (details supplied). [48841/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on improved grants to support local authorities and approved housing bodies; the estimated funding allocated; the number of grants that have been awarded and the amount spent to date (details supplied) [48842/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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131. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on the recent measures to increased heat pump grants to €12,500; the number of applications received on average per month before this change; the number received since the uplift was announced; the number allocated on average per month before the uplift was announced; the number allocated per month since the uplift was announced; the number drawn down on average per month before the uplift was announced and the number drawn down since, in tabular form. [48843/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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132. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on his "greater focus on supports for undertaking retrofitting on an incremental basis"; to outline in detail the meaning of this in practice; and the way this has translated to delivery. [48844/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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133. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on increased fixed grant levels for attic and cavity wall insultation with values set at up to 80% of median cost; up to 100% of median cost for those on qualifying welfare payments and for first time buyers, subject to scheme conditions; the funding allocated to this measure per year; the numbers of grants allocated before the change was announced on average per month; and the numbers allocated after the change; and the way this has translated to delivery. [48845/26]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 to 133, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government commits to providing warmer, more comfortable and energy-efficient homes while reducing energy bills, cutting emissions and lowering reliance on fossil fuels.

The Government’s National Residential Retrofit Plan (NRRP), published at end January 2026, supports this commitment through a raft of new measures and increased grants making it easier for all homeowners to undertake highly cost-effective, high impact, attic and cavity wall insulation measures as well as deeper retrofits on a phased basis to suit budgets.

For the first time, homeowners can access a windows and doors grant as an individual measure for the installation of energy-efficient windows and doors and the heat pump system grant has been expanded for a maximum total grant value of up to €12,500. Also, a new grant of €6,500 is available for replacement of an existing heat pump that has reached the end of its life and is out of warranty, subject to compliance with the eligibility requirements. Whether to improve one area or completely upgrade the home, the NRRP gives homeowners increased choice and flexibility and puts them on a pathway to decarbonising their homes.

Capital expenditure of over €1.8 billion has delivered over 268,000 home energy upgrades from 2019 to end May 2026, including over 36,300 fully-funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme.

Increasing and expanding the grant offerings and bringing them in line with the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme and Community Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme is paying dividends with clear evidence of growth in both demand and output. This year, to end May 2026, over 22,900 homes have been upgraded through Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) schemes, including over 3,600 homes at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme. Over 55,000 applications have been processed to end May 2026, an increase of 118% on the same period last year.

The SEAI also report strong interest from Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) since grant amounts for AHBs were increased. All of this points to a strong pipeline of works for the remainder of the year.

The SEAI is also currently working with Age Friendly Ireland and Local Authorities to support older people to access energy upgrades through the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Pilot Programme and the CEG Programme. CEG contractors will be nominated to work in specified county’s (Local Authority areas) to support the roll out of this initiative. The initial contract award will be for a trial period of 6 months following which the SEAI will review the scheme operation in association with the contractors who are participating.

The specific information sought in relation to applications, output and spend data is an operational matter for the SEAI. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the SEAI directly in relation to this data. 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.

The National Energy Affordability Taskforce formed to identify, assess and implement measures to enhance energy affordability for households is now leading the response to the energy shock, and the immediate associated energy affordability challenge. This work includes examining how to support increased uptake of home energy efficiency upgrades and continued development of the SEAI retrofit schemes in line with commitments in the Programme for Government.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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134. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the capital allocation for retrofitting will be €898 million as outlined on page 10 of the Governments National Retrofit Plan (details supplied). [48916/26]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to providing warmer, more comfortable and energy-efficient homes while reducing energy bills, cutting emissions and lowering reliance on fossil fuels.

The Government’s National Residential Retrofit Plan, published at end January 2026, supports this commitment through a raft of new measures and increased grants making it easier for all homeowners to undertake highly cost-effective, high impact, attic and cavity wall insulation measures as well as deeper retrofits on a phased basis to suit budgets.

The National Retrofit Plan is delivering at scale and pace. Capital expenditure of over €1.8 billion has delivered over 268,000 home energy upgrades from 2019 to end May 2026, including over 36,300 fully-funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme.

This year, in 2026, a record capital budget of €640 million, including €558 million from carbon tax receipts, has been allocated to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) residential and community energy upgrade schemes, including the Solar PV Scheme. This allocation will support 73,000 home energy upgrades to make homes warmer, healthier and more comfortable, with lower emissions and lower bills.

A key priority of my Department’s NDP Sectoral Capital Plan for 2026-2030, as committed to under the Programme for Government, is to allocate a significant portion of annual carbon tax receipts for investment in energy efficiency programmes, with the largest share, up to €3.7 billion, to be invested in residential energy efficiency programmes through the SEAI. This will be further supplemented by other funding sources such as the European Regional Development Fund.

The establishment of the 2027 Budget for retrofits will be a matter for the 2027 Estimates process later this year.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding allocated to renewable energy communities; the amount of this funding this has been drawn down in each of the years 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48917/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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136. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a breakdown of the allocated amount to the enabling grant for renewable energy communities; and the amount of the funding that has been drawn down in each of the years since the grant has been available, in tabular form. [48919/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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140. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a detailed breakdown of the PTE and FTE staff that are employed as part of the community enabling framework; to provide a breakdown of the FTE and PTE employed as part of the SRESS; the cost to employ an additional FTE and PTE as part of the SRESS; the cost to employ an additional FTE and PTE as part of the community enabling framework, in tabular form. [48923/26]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of staff broken down by FTE and PTE that are employed to support renewable energy communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48924/26]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 136, 140 and 141 together.

The Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) Community Enabling Framework, launched in 2022, provides a range of supports, including an accompanying Community Enabling Grant of funding of potentially up to €180,000, offered by SEAI to community renewable energy projects to help them participate in the RESS. Under this RESS support, two community projects (both under RESS 1 in 2022), including one solar and one wind, have received €40,000 each in grant funding.

SEAI was allocated €0.25 million in 2020 to commence the start-up activities for the supports envisaged under the Enabling Framework.

SEAI was then allocated €3 million in 2021 to support the work of the Enabling Framework with an additional €2 million in 2022, €1.2 million in 2023, €1.54 million in 2024, €1 million in 2025 and €1 million in 2026. These include the budget available for potential grants.

Since January 2025, support for community projects has transitioned to the non-competitive Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS).

With the exception of the Community Enabling Grants, all of the other supports that were available under the SEAI RESS Community Enabling Framework are now also available to communities under SRESS.

My Department is currently assessing the interaction between the SRESS tariffs and proposed grants to ensure that these do not constitute 'double funding' or cumulation of aid under EU State Aid rules.

There are currently four staff in my Department working on SRESS and community policy, including engagement with SEAI on the Community Enabling Framework.

In terms of SEAI staff allocated to the Community Enabling Framework, the administration and management of the schemes, as well as the assignment of staff to particular work areas, is an operational matter for the SEAI.

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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137. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding allocated to sustainable energy communities in each of the years 2020 to 2025, and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [48920/26]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) Programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The Programme supports the low carbon energy transition by developing skills and capacity, at a community level, in determining how to use less energy; adopting lower carbon options for transport and heating; shifting energy use to off-peak times; and investing in smart technologies.

The SEAI provides 100% funding to communities to undertake energy master plans. These plans allow a community to assess and understand it’s current and future energy needs (in electricity, heat and transport) in order for the community to make informed decisions and prioritise actions. It helps communities to identify opportunities so they can become more energy efficient, use renewable energy where possible, and use smart energy technologies if appropriate. There are currently 1,137 SECs in the network.

The SEC Programme is funded through the Community Activation Fund. Details of capital funding expenditure for the SEC Programme/Community Activation Fund for the years 2020 to date in 2026 are set out in the table below:

Community Activation Fund Government Capital Expenditure