121. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment following recommendations in the recent Climate Advisory Council Report 2026, if battery storage and changeover switch grants will be introduced by his Department as part of Budget 2027; and if the PV solar medically vulnerable scheme will be amended in view of these recommendations. [59794/26]

123. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason the solar PV medically vulnerable scheme is solely administered via energy providers and partner installers; if the scheme will be expanded to allow eligible customers to choose their own SEAI registered installer; if he will clarify if there is currently a review of this scheme; and if changes to its administration will be forthcoming. [59782/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 123 together.

The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable Scheme is a targeted scheme which provides fully Government funded solar PV panels for customers/households who are on the life support category of the Priority Services Register. This is because these households may have a higher energy demand than the average user and this scheme is designed to go some way towards helping to reduce those energy costs.

The Solar PV for Medically Vulnerable Scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in conjunction with energy suppliers, with each energy supplier contacting their own eligible customers directly in line with the work plans for their solar PV installers. Eligible households can avail of a fully funded 2kWp solar PV system, including survey/design, supply, installation, and the post works BER. Under the scheme households can pay to have additional solar panels installed by the contractor selected by their energy supplier, and cannot select their own solar PV contractor.

Over 470 systems were installed last year with expenditure of €2.4 million, with 319 systems installed to end July this year.

The scheme is energy supplier-led, meaning each energy supplier is responsible for contacting their own eligible customers directly. Government, through the SEAI, funds each energy supplier for the installations they provide to their eligible customers.

It is important to note that suppliers, who manage the administrative aspects of the scheme under the SEAI, issue offers to eligible homeowners. Each participating supplier received an allocated amount of funding under their Memorandum of Understanding with the SEAI and contacts eligible households in batches, based on operational capacity.

Due to the strong uptake, eligibility for the scheme was extended in November 2025 to include all homeowners who are registered under the life support category of the Priority Services Register with their energy supplier, regardless of when they were registered, as long the house is built and occupied on or before 31 December 2020.

The scheme is kept under ongoing review by my Department and the SEAI, with the SEAI meeting regularly with the energy suppliers, with a focus on continuous improvement of the scheme.