Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 December 2025
392. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that have applied for retrofitting under the REPowerEU pathfinder programme to date; the number of these applications from Dublin; the current stage of these schools in the process; when the next round of announcements for retrofitting projects under the programme will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69214/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra393. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools can apply for retrofitting under the REPowerEU pathfinder programme; the way in which applications are assessed; the criteria used in determining eligibility and priority; the way in which schools are ultimately selected for inclusion in the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69215/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 392 and 393 together.
My Department successfully secured REPowerEU funding to expand the School Pathfinder Decarbonisation and Retrofit Programme during summer 2025. The Department’s submission drew on data collected through the Energy Inventory Pilot, this pilot did not include the Dublin area, the pilot included counties Kildare, Meath, Offaly, Wicklow and Wexford.
A condition of the funding from the RePowerEU Programme was that the works must be delivered within a specified timeframe. A total of 40 schools across these five counties were included in the initial assessment phase. The Programme targeted schools of a scale and size that enabled significant works to be completed within a single school term or summer holiday period. As such, the schools selected are typically eight- to ten-classroom primary schools and post-primary schools of similar floor area. Participation in the programme is by selection rather than by application.
As part of a risk management approach to ensure the achievement of Value for Money and the full utilisation of the EU funding within the tight timelines, a total of 40 schools participated in the planning and design stages of the programme on the agreed basis that not all projects would proceed to construction. This provided flexibility in managing risks such as planning delays, ESB Networks infrastructure requirements, and challenges in tendering or project delivery.
Each school underwent a detailed, staged assessment process with final decisions based on key criteria including technical feasibility, value for money, alignment with programme timelines and compatibility with the overall funding envelope. In the case of the schools that did not proceed to works at this stage, factors such as value for money, delays in securing planning permission and challenges during the tendering process influenced the outcome.
The typical works included in the programme entailed retrofit to achieve a minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) of B, through the installation of heat pumps, LED lighting and mechanical heat recovery ventilation. Fabric and airtightness upgrades will also be carried out, alongside the installation of electric vehicle chargers.
Of the 40 schools assessed, 28 were successfully brought to construction stage this summer.
This REPowerEU support represented a once-off allocation to Ireland, and therefore no additional schools will be added to this programme.
