Pa Daly
Question:95. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the extension of the solar PV scheme in October 2025. [50090/26]
View answerWednesday, 1 July 2026
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Written answers
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, respirators, etc. 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.
Due to the strong uptake, eligibility for the scheme was extended in November 2025 to include 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, as long the house is built and occupied on or before 31 December 2020.
Over 470 systems were installed last year with expenditure of €2.4 million. This year will see a major expansion of delivery with an allocation of €11.7 million to support over 1,900 homes.
The National Energy Affordability Taskforce was formed to identify, assess and implement measures to enhance energy affordability for households. The Taskforce 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.