Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
143. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will outline the support being offered to businesses to decarbonise and become more sustainable, especially in light of global fuel market disruption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30440/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment I understand the significant and immediate challenges that business are experiencing due to rising energy costs and disruption in global fuel markets. There are substantial supports in place to help businesses to cut energy costs, decarbonise and become more sustainable. This ranges from audits to help them understand and tackle energy usage, assistance to assess what action they can take, and financial support to invest in retrofitting their building, and buy energy efficient equipment.
In the first instance implementing low or no cost actions can help a business achieve real savings. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland estimates that the average SME can reduce its energy bill by up to 30% by implementing energy efficiency measures and a 10% saving can be achieved with little or no capital cost.
For SMEs an energy audit is a great starting point, as it shows where they can make savings. Most audits are fully funded and carried out by an SEAI-registered expert. Similarly, Enterprise Ireland’s Climate Action Voucher offers up to €1,800 to fund two days of independent consultancy to help companies to identify and act on energy-saving opportunities.
Local Enterprise Offices run the free Green for Business scheme that give business access to a green consultant who carries out an assessment, and works with the business to develop their action plan. In 2025, 966 projects were approved under this scheme, with funding of €2 million
The Climate Action Programme from Fáilte Ireland meanwhile is fully subsidised and gives SMEs in the Tourism Sector access to a dedicated expert advisor who will work with them on a one-to-one basis to assess their current operations and create a tailored, practical action plan. This gives an SME clear, unbiased guidance on how to reduce emissions, improve energy use, and explore available funding opportunities.
In addition, the ClimateToolkit4Business.gov.ie is a free and simple support that allows businesses to estimate their carbon footprint through a self-assessment tool and provides a tailored action plan, along with guidance on the range of Government supports available.
Once a business knows where they should invest, there are grants available towards buying energy efficient equipment and building retrofits. The Energy Efficiency Grant is a practical grant administered through the Local Enterprise Offices.
I changed the terms and conditions of the Energy Efficient Grant so that a 75% grant is now available, up to a maximum of €10,000, which can make a huge difference to energy bills. This grant supports practical measures to reduce energy costs, including LED lighting, upgraded refrigeration units, ovens and dishwashers. It also supports heat recovery systems, smart energy controls, anaerobic digesters and other step. In 2025, 681 businesses were approved for this grant, with funding of €5.7 million.
Businesses of all sizes can also access the SEAI’s Business Energy Upgrades Scheme, which supports high-quality energy audits and a range of building upgrades, including solar thermal and solar PV installations, automatic controls, heat pumps, air-handling units, ventilation, and fabric improvements such as wall insulation. In 2025, 186 grants were approved under the scheme, with funding of €3.36 million.
Meanwhile for industry, in 2024 I announced that €300 million would be made available up to 2030 through the Environmental Aid Scheme for client companies of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. The scheme provides capital grants to support low-carbon, energy-efficient and sustainable production practices, including facility upgrades, the removal of fossil fuels from heating processes, the deployment of new low-carbon technologies, and improvements in circularity and water use. By the end of 2025, 41 projects had been approved, with €154 million in grant aid.
In summary, I would emphasise, particularly in the context of rising energy costs, that there are supports available to business of all sizes and for every point in their energy efficiency and sustainability journey. All of the information I have mentioned above is also available on the National Enterprise Hub.gov.ie. I would encourage businesses to visit the site as it brings together the funding, advice and training offered across Government in one place.
