Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
310. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the safeguards currently required by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for homeowners making substantial upfront payments to SEAI one-stop-shop retrofit providers before works commence; whether additional consumer protection measures are under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37416/26]
View answer311. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he has examined the potential financial exposure faced by homeowners participating in retrofit schemes who may be required to pay significant deposits in advance of works being completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37417/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 310 and 311 together.
My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), an Agency under the aegis of my Department.
In line with the Programme for Government commitments, the Government is taking decisive action to provide warmer, more comfortable homes, as part of our drive to support energy affordability, security, and sustainability.
Following Government approval in January, a new National Residential Retrofit Plan (NRRP) 2026 was published with an enhanced set of measures to increase the delivery of home energy upgrades.
The NNRP 2026, including its new and enhanced set of measures, will continue to make home energy upgrades more accessible and affordable so that it is easier for homeowners to undertake deep retrofits on a phased basis as suits their respective budgets.
For homeowners seeking a whole home energy upgrade, the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme is the primary route. This scheme is delivered through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) 31 currently registered One Stop Shops (OSS) which manage the entire start-to-finish service for the homeowner.
It is, therefore, essential that companies delivering this service can meet the high technical standards required under the scheme and are also able to cover the grant costs upfront (prior to their reimbursement by the SEAI). For this reason, the SEAI has set a very high bar for companies to register as a OSS, in order to ensure the quality of the retrofit.
The SEAI operate their schemes within a specified governance framework with a set of rules determining eligibility for grant support. Accordingly, these schemes have terms and conditions in place to ensure the transparent administration of public monies. Achieving this requires that the processes and systems are clear and efficient and operate in a manner which is fair to all applicants. This includes ensuring that the contractor is registered for the type of work that they are carrying out and have grant approval in place before works commence.
In order to avail of the SEAI grants, scheme applicants are required to have a contract in place with their chosen company which provides appropriate levels of consumer protection. Any agreement, contract or payment schedules agreed that may have been entered into, is a private contractual matter between those two parties, as is the case for any goods, works and services contracts.
Furthermore, it is critically important that works supported by the SEAI schemes are completed in line with the respective scheme’s terms and conditions including in line with the SEAI’s Contractor Code of Practice and Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications, as well as best practice and technical guidance documents.
