Written answer
Energy Conservation
The Minister highlighted expanded SEAI retrofit and heat-pump supports, rather than announcing a boiler scrappage scheme, with further affordability measures under consideration.
25. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether consideration is being given to the introduction of a boiler replacement or scrappage scheme for households that do not qualify for assistance under the SEAI warmer homes scheme; the supports currently available to assist such households in replacing older, inefficient and high-emission heating systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65967/26]
Comment on this
My Department funds a number of schemes administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to maximise emissions reductions and deliver energy savings for the widest range of homeowners possible.
The SEAI residential and community retrofit programmes are available to households, including those reliant on fossil fuel boilers for heating. Under the part-funded schemes, grants are available for installing heat pumps in place of fossil fuel heating systems. In recent years a range of measures have been put in place to incentivise take-up, including most recently under the new National Residential Retrofit Plan (NRRP).
Announced in January, the NRRP makes retrofitting supports more accessible, allowing access to windows and doors grants as individual measures, and increasing grants for insulation and heat pumps.
Specifically, for heat pumps:
(i) the heat pump system grant was expanded for a maximum total grant value of up to €12,500;
(ii) a new grant of €6,500 is available for replacement of an existing end of life heat pump which is out of warranty and where the in-situ heat pump has not previously been SEAI grant-aided; and
(iii) the VAT rate for heat pumps was reduced to 9% in January 2025.
Established June 2025, the cross-Government National Energy Affordability Taskforce’s (NEAT) first report helped inform key aspects of Budget 2026, including new measures to further support householders in the NRRP 2026. The NEAT is now working intensively to prepare an Energy Affordability Action Plan to support increased uptake of home energy efficiency upgrades, in particular for lower-income households at risk of energy poverty, in line with commitments in the Programme for Government. The Action Plan will be submitted to Government in the coming weeks and will inform measures for consideration in Budget 2027.