152. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of households receiving fuel allowance that qualify for the warmer homes schemes; the number of fuel allowance households that have been retrofitted; the current waiting list and time; and the support that exists for households just above the warmer homes scheme income/welfare eligibility criteria, in tabular form. [66299/26]

The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people at risk of energy poverty by providing fully funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax revenues and the European Regional Development Fund.

The Warmer Homes Scheme is available to owner-occupied properties built and occupied before 2006, based on the householder being in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection (DSP) income supports. The scheme targets support to those on the lowest incomes who are living in the least efficient homes so that the resources available can have the greatest impact in addressing energy poverty.

The eligible DSP payments are:

• Fuel Allowance;

• Job Seeker’s Allowance for more than 6 months with a child under 7;

• Working Family Payment (previously the Family Income Supplement);

• One Parent Family Payment;

• Domiciliary Care Allowance;

• Carer’s Allowance (where you live with the person you are caring for); and

• Disability Allowance for more than 6 months with a child under 7.

The current average waiting time from application to a contractor being allocated under the SEAI Warmer Homes Scheme is 15 months in H1 2026, with 11,271 homes currently on the waiting list, determined as the number of applications in process not yet allocated to a contractor as at the end of August 2026.

The breakdown of average waiting times under the scheme in H1 2026 were as follows:

• Application to Pre-BER Published - 8 months.

• Application to Survey Completed – 13 months.

• Application to Contractor Allocation - 15 months.

• Application to Works Completed - 23 months.

This represents a decrease from an average waiting time of 26 months for homes completed in 2022. In parallel with this decrease in the average waiting time, the number of homes upgraded in a year has almost doubled over the same period, increasing from over 4,200 in 2022 to over 8,100 in 2025.

The reduction in waiting times and increase in number of homes upgraded follows a range of measures introduced by my Department and the SEAI. These include:

• the allocation of additional staff to the Warmer Homes Scheme;

• a significantly increased budget allocation;

• active contract engagement and management by the SEAI to increase contractor output; and

• actions to address ongoing supply chain pressures.

The SEAI have established a new €1.2 billion contractor panel this year. This will support continued growth with a focus on scale, quality and output under the scheme.

The SEAI has also developed a Waiting List Action Plan with the objective of reducing the number of clients waiting for an upgrade, ensuring prioritisation of the worst performing homes, and improving efficiencies across the scheme.

The Scheme has been in existence in different forms since 2000 and has provided upgrades to almost 180,000 homes. SEAI data on upgrades carried out under grant schemes, including the Warmer Homes Scheme, from 2015 onwards is available at www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/home-upgrades.

To help maximise delivery and continue to improve waiting times, Budget 2026 provided record funding of €340 million for the Warmer Homes Scheme, with a target of 11,500 fully funded home upgrades for 2026.

The number of households receiving fuel allowance that qualify for the Warmer Homes Scheme, and the number of fuel allowance households that have been retrofitted, are operational matters for the SEAI and is not data which my Department would regularly hold. The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly and in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.

The National Residential Retrofit Plan 2026 introduced a number of new and expanded measures to make energy upgrades more affordable and accessible to many more homeowners, including those not eligible for the Warmer Homes Scheme. These measures are making more homes more sustainable and energy-efficient, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and lowering energy costs for households.

Government also has other schemes and supports in place which may be of assistance where there is an urgent need:

• The Department of Social Protection's Additional Needs Payment is a payment available to people who have essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income. Additional Needs Payments are paid under Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is administered by the Community Welfare Service or the Department of Social Protection. Details are available here: www.gov.ie/en/service/4eb45-additional-needs-payment/.

• The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's Housing Adaptation Grants can assist older people to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out in order to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Details are available here: www.gov.ie/en/service/6636c-housing-adaptation-grants-for-older-people-and-people-with-a-disability/.