Written answer
Housing Policy
1101. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to proceed in 2027 with social housing needing to be energy retrofitted to a A2 standard given the increased costs in having said works done; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42929/26]
Comment on this
My Department’s Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) provides grant funding to local authorities to upgrade their social housing stock to achieve a post-works Building Energy Rating (BER) of 125 kWh/m²/yr. It is expected that approximately 36,500 local authority-owned homes will be retrofitted to this standard under the programme by end-2030.
Works eligible under the EERP include attic and cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. These funded measures achieve the required post works BER rating.
The programme is designed to provide local authorities with flexibility in selecting properties for retrofit, ranging from those requiring minor works to those needing more extensive intervention to achieve the required post works BER with the cost of works on each home dependent on its pre-works BER.
Funding allocations and targets allow for a mix of dwelling types, from lower cost upgrades to more major projects. Local authorities are expected to maintain an average cost of €38,000 per home (excluding project management fees), ensuring that the available budget delivers the maximum number of retrofits. This average funding per dwelling represents an increase of approximately 41% per dwelling compared to 2021 funding availability.
Some €140 million will be provided to local authorities under the EERP this year, an increase of €50 million on 2025, with a target of retrofitting 3,500 local authority homes. It is envisaged retrofit targets will increase incrementally over the coming years, in line with our obligations to retrofit 36,500 by end-2030, and subject to funding secured as part of the annual Estimates process.