201. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if window upgrades have been considered in the context of improving the energy efficiency of homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34908/15]

The Better Energy Programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. Since 2009, the programme has supported the renovation of nearly 300,000 homes in Ireland. The upgrade of windows is not currently supported under the Better Energy Programme due to the need to balance the limited budgetary resources available with the demands for the schemes delivered under the programme. Therefore, the measures currently supported are those that can deliver the most energy savings at the lowest cost. While window insulation does improve the energy efficiency of a home, the cost of such a measure is high in relation to the energy efficiency gains made. Information on the grant support available under the Better Energy Programme is available on the SEAI website at www.seai.ie.