Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
306. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of home retrofits completed under SEAI schemes in 2025; the statistics on uptake by lower-income households and the barriers identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11940/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is responsible for the administration of a range of home energy upgrade schemes funded by my Department. Over 58,000 home energy upgrades were supported by the SEAI in 2025, representing a 7% increase on 2024.
Included in these upgrades were:
• 8,139 homes under the fully funded Warmer Homes Scheme which is available to homeowners on certain Department of Social Protection payments;
• 473 homes upgraded with solar PV under the Solar PV Medically Vulnerable Scheme, which provides fully funded solar PV installation to households on the Priority Services Register, who have a dependence on electrically powered equipment, including medical equipment, life protecting devices and assistive technologies; and
• additional vulnerable households at risk of energy poverty living in Approved Housing Body homes were also supported with home upgrades under the Community Energy Grant and National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme.
Separately 2,673 home energy upgrades were carried out in Local Authority homes, funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Overall, in 2025, including the amount spent on upgrading Local Authority homes by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, 65% of Government investment in residential and community retrofitting has been in homes of more vulnerable households at risk of energy poverty.
The Programme for Government committed to the continued delivery of these SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes, including delivering more home energy upgrades; revising and improving the provision of grants and financing models for homeowners who wish to retrofit, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing costs; as well as supporting group retrofitting projects and area-based approaches to retrofitting.
The new National Residential Retrofit Plan, published in January, identifies persistent barriers to retrofit and sets out additional initiatives necessary to address those barriers. As part of the plan, further measures have been introduced to support lower-income households to retrofit, including:
• a higher fixed-amount grant for attic insulation and cavity wall insulation will be introduced for homeowners who are on qualifying Department of Social Protection payments. This will allow qualifying homeowners at risk of energy poverty to get these works done using their own SEAI-registered contractor in a shorter timeframe. This grant will be available from the beginning of March and further details are available on the SEAI website;
• increased grant amounts for Approved Housing Bodies to upgrade their homes under the Community Energy Grant and National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme. This will also support the upgrade of multi-unit developments in Approved Housing Body ownership, which are a particularly difficult segment of the market to retrofit; and
• increased grant rates for energy poor households under the Community Energy Grant Scheme, ensuring no homes are left behind in area-based projects.
Budget 2026 has allocated record funding of €641 million for the SEAI's residential and community retrofit schemes as well as a further €140 million for the Local Authority Energy Efficiency Upgrade Programme, meaning that more funding than ever will be available to make homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable and less expensive to heat.
