State body behind retrofitting of homes slammed over 'inordinate delays'
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The State body tasked with retrofitting hundreds of thousands of Irish homes has been sharply criticised by TDs and senators over “inordinate delays” in processing applications and the “inadequacy” of some of its policies.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) was savaged in a new report from the Oireachtas Social Protection Committee, as it was accused of “blatantly disregarding” the United Nations sustainable development goals of “leaving no one behind” when it comes to fuel poverty.
It comes as over 20 leading civil society organisations have come together to jointly demand a better plan from the Government to permanently end energy poverty in Ireland.
The Oireachtas committee had held numerous meetings with the SEAI, Government departments, and NGOs on this subject in recent months before publishing its report.
Committee chair Denis Naughten said: “As we aim for a sustainable and greener future, it’s vital that no one is left struggling to meet basic energy needs.
“High energy costs, low household incomes, and energy-inefficient housing make life harder for many families. The impact of energy poverty isn’t just financial — it also affects health and wellbeing.”
The report includes 41 recommendations, spanning issues around retrofitting, the suitability of the fuel allowance, and the impact of energy poverty on mental and physical health.
The committee said it raised concerns about the speed of retrofitting homes for people who are the most vulnerable and questioned the SEAI on the timelines surrounding retrofitting when applying for the grant as a private homeowner.
“The committee is concerned with the inordinate delay outlined by the SEAI in processing Warmer Homes Scheme applications for those in fuel poverty,” it said.
“The committee is of the view that the current 14-month delay between application and survey completion is adding to frustration by homeowners in fuel poverty, postponing other shallow measures which could improve the energy efficiency of the home and leading to an inefficient deployment of contractors who have not seen homes for clustering of works by location. A target should be set of completing the survey within 12 weeks of a valid application being completed.”
It also recommends the creation of a long-term retrofit plan for the rental sector, along with a thorough review of the fuel allowance that includes an extension of the period of payments for the allowance by four weeks.
Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the State body said: “SEAI continues to support low-income homes and energy-poor homes, with almost 1,200 fully funded upgrades delivered during Q1 2024, up 25% on the same period in 2023. This work will continue as we aim to deliver 6000 free energy upgrades before the end of this year.
“SEAI welcomed the opportunity to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee as part of the Committee’s examination of the important subject of energy poverty. SEAI will now review the Committee’s final report in conjunction with our parent department — the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.”
NGOs have urged the Government to step up actions to protect those most at risk of energy poverty, including enhanced strategies for retrofitting around the country.