35. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of houses, broken down per local authority area, that have been provided with solar panels under the warmer homes scheme; the steps he plans to take to expedite this roll out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38658/24]

The Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty. There are a number of home energy improvements offered as part of the Scheme.

The scheme seeks to reduce the amount of energy a household needs by reducing heat loss through the installation of insulation and ventilation in the first instance, before moving to replacing heating systems where required under Building Regulations. This is in line with the fabric first/energy efficiency first principle and best practice.

SEAI are currently piloting the installation of renewable technologies, mainly heat pumps, where a major renovation is taking place. The purpose of the pilot is to test the capabilities and the suitability of installing heat pumps in the context of energy poverty objectives for the Warmer Homes Programme.

SEAI data indicates that in a small number of homes in the pilot, Solar PV has also been installed with a heat pump, with the aim of providing further insights in relation to running costs and uptake. The learnings from piloting PV installations will also inform the approach to compliance with future changes to the Building Regulations for major renovations under the scheme.

The Deputy may also wish to note that stand alone supports for Solar PV panels are available under the dedicated domestic solar PV scheme, operated by the SEAI as part of the Government’s Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS). This scheme currently offers grants of up to €2,100 to all homeowners in homes built before 2021.