I welcome fresh figures which show a total of 34,905 homes
in Dublin have benefited from highly successful 'Better Energy' schemes.
The
figures, which were announced by Labour Minister for Communications
Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte yesterday, detail the
extremely positive progress that is being made by the schemes in local
communities, where low-income households are the beneficiaries.
It
is hugely positive that so many Dubliners have availed of the Government’s Better Energy Schemes to date. I know in
my own area of Ballymun, this included local pilot schemes in Cromlech Court, Knowth
Court and in the Burren Court senior citizen’s complex last November.
Further
groups of houses have received energy upgrades in Druid and Termon Courts and
this will continue in the coming months.
I
welcome the approach being taken by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
(SEAI) and Dublin City Council in grouping together some of the older housing
stock to get the best results. It is also great to see a wider buy-in from
people in Dublin and around the country to these two schemes.
The
popular Better Energy Home scheme
involves grants for insulation and heating upgrades, while the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme
relates to free home energy upgrades.
Overall,
250,000 homes throughout Ireland have benefitted from both schemes.
This
has involved €600m investment in the small buildings sector and an average of
3,800 full time jobs over the last five years. It means that participating
homeowners in the local area have already made significant energy savings over
the past few years.
I am particularly glad these savings will continue as the
Government has pledged to continue to fund these schemes into 2014.
These
positive results show that the Labour Party is working hard in Government to
help home-owners make real savings on their energy bills.
More information:
The Sustainable
Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has a mission to play a leading role in
the transformation of Ireland to a society based on sustainable energy structures,
technologies and practices. SEAI is partly financed by Ireland’s EU Structural
Funds Programme co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.
The Better Energy Homes
scheme, operating since 2009, provides grants to homeowners towards the
costs of insulation and heating system upgrades. See www.seai.ie/betterenergyhomes
The Better Energy
Warmer Homes Scheme provides free home energy upgrades to eligible fuel
poor households through a national network of community based organisations and
private contractors. See www.seai.ie/warmerhomes
|
|
Better Energy Warmer Homes
|
Better Energy Homes
|
County Totals for BOTH schemes
|
|
Carlow
|
1,094
|
1,520
|
2,614
|
|
Cavan
|
1,464
|
3,030
|
4,494
|
|
Clare
|
2,337
|
7,970
|
10,307
|
|
Cork
|
10,748
|
21,540
|
32,288
|
|
Donegal
|
3,254
|
4,450
|
7,704
|
|
Dublin
|
11,105
|
23,800
|
34,905
|
|
Galway
|
4,328
|
12,450
|
16,778
|
|
Kerry
|
2,974
|
8,090
|
11,064
|
|
Kildare
|
2,930
|
3,870
|
6,800
|
|
Kilkenny
|
1,180
|
3,310
|
4,490
|
|
Laois
|
1,196
|
2,210
|
3,406
|
|
Leitrim
|
1157
|
850
|
2,007
|
|
Limerick
|
4,497
|
10,750
|
15,247
|
|
Longford
|
963
|
1,290
|
2,253
|
|
Louth
|
3,409
|
3,930
|
7,339
|
|
Mayo
|
3,962
|
4,520
|
8,482
|
|
Meath
|
2,458
|
4,010
|
6,468
|
|
Monaghan
|
1,361
|
2,680
|
4,041
|
|
Offaly
|
1,679
|
1,700
|
3,379
|
|
Roscommon
|
1,954
|
2,410
|
4,364
|
|
Sligo
|
1,638
|
1,920
|
3,558
|
|
Tipperary
|
4,161
|
6,870
|
11,031
|
|
Waterford
|
3,399
|
6,000
|
9,399
|
|
Westmeath
|
1,786
|
2,260
|
4,046
|
|
Wexford
|
3,119
|
5,960
|
9,079
|
|
Wicklow
|
2,162
|
2,610
|
4,772
|
|
All
Counties**
|
20,881
|
0
|
20,881
|
|
|
101,196
|
150,000
|
251,196
|
**
County totals are not available for Better Energy Warmer Homes prior to 2009
