121. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he can advise on the full list of current schemes in place which are administered by the SEAI to assist businesses in improving their energy efficiency. [65225/26]

My Department funds a wide range of supports, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to help businesses improve energy efficiency and reduce their energy use and costs. The most recent SEAI data shows that, across 2024 and 2025, SEAI grants supported more than 7,000 businesses by allocating over €80 million in grant funding, while also providing free training and guidance to thousands more. In 2026, the number of applications approved by the SEAI was up by more than 30% to June compared with the same period last year.

The major grant funding schemes operated on behalf of my Department are:

Business Energy Upgrades Scheme (BEUS)

The BEUS has been designed to ensure greater accessibility for small and medium-sized enterprises in Ireland. It can provide grant approval for a range of "off-the-shelf" supports in as little as 15 minutes. The scheme is open to all businesses, public sector bodies, societies and charities, and has grown rapidly since its launch last year.

Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA)

The SSEA fully covers the cost of a typical energy audit. It enables businesses to quickly identify energy-saving measures and provides a roadmap for reducing costs, including no-cost and low-cost actions that can be implemented immediately. The scheme is open to all public and private sector organisations that are not already required to undertake an energy audit under the Energy Efficiency Directive.

Non-Domestic Microgeneration Scheme (NDMG)

The NDMG Scheme provides financial assistance to help businesses and other organisations install solar PV panels to generate electricity on site. Grants are available for systems up to a maximum value of €162,600 for installations of up to 1,000 kWp.

Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED) Scheme

The EXEED Scheme provides tailored capital grants to support business and public-sector projects that follow the EXEED Certified Standard. Through the scheme, the SEAI works directly with organisations to improve the efficiency of their operations, offering bespoke advice and grant funding for a wide range of highly energy-efficient equipment.

Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH)

The SSRH is designed to support the installation and operation of renewable heating systems for commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating and other non-domestic heat users. The scheme helps bridge the gap between the operating costs of biomass heating systems and conventional fossil-fuel alternatives through an operational tariff paid over a 15-year period. It also provides investment aid, in the form of grants, for alternative technologies such as heat pumps and geothermal heating systems, helping to incentivise the necessary capital investment.

Community Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme

The CEG Scheme is the longest-standing support available to businesses. It provides grant funding for cross-sectoral projects that support innovative approaches to improving energy efficiency in Irish communities. The scheme funds a range of upgrades to existing buildings, including insulation, heat pump systems, solar PV, energy-efficient lighting, energy monitors and other energy-efficiency measures.

The SEAI support schemes are kept under regular review to ensure their effectiveness. I have already approved reforms to several of these programmes and am examining what further steps can be taken to expand and strengthen the others.

In addition to grant funding, we support businesses through:

• The Energy Academy, which offers 35 modules and has more than 12,700 active members. The Energy Academy issued over 1,400 certificates in 2025.

• The Large Industry Energy Network is an active forum for knowledge and expertise sharing among Ireland's largest energy users and accounted for approximately 386 GWh of energy savings across the network in 2025.

• The Accelerated Capital Allowance for Energy Efficient Equipment is a tax incentive that enables businesses to write-off the capital cost of certain energy-efficient plant and machinery in the year of purchase, rather than over eight years. The purpose of the scheme is to encourage businesses to invest in highly energy-efficient equipment, delivering significant savings on energy costs while reducing carbon emissions.

• The Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme has been in operation since 2014 and is designed to promote energy efficiency in homes, businesses and communities across Ireland. Under the scheme, the largest energy suppliers and distributors in Ireland, which sell more than 400 GWh of energy annually to final customers, are required to achieve annual energy efficiency targets. These companies, known as obligated parties, are assigned targets based on their share of the energy market. Obligated parties are drawn from the liquid fuel, solid fuel, electricity and natural gas sectors, and can meet their targets by financially supporting homeowners, businesses and communities to undertake energy-efficiency upgrades.