Just 14 Kilkenny social homes would receive maximum Government energy retrofit grant

BY COLIN BARTLEY

JUST 14 social houses in Kilkenny would benefit from a full energy efficiency retrofit grant from funding provided by the Government.

Kilkenny received just 1.29% of the total funding available for the upgrading of the energy efficiency of local authority homes this year.

Just €321,562 is allocated to Kilkenny out of a national budget of €25 million.

Each local authority house can avail of a maximum of €22,800 for retrofitting. Therefore, if 14 Kilkenny houses received the maximum grant, the budget for this year would be gone.

The €25 million energy retrofitting of social homes programme was this morning announced by Minister for Housing, Planning & Local Government, Eoghan Murphy. The Minister will visit the city alongside Taoiseach Leo Varadkar next Thursday to launch the Brewhouse redevelopment in the Abbey Quarter, and open the new IFAC offices.

Kilkenny’s Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, John Paul Phelan confirmed Kilkenny’s allocation.

“This is the latest funding allocation under the programme for energy retrofitting social homes, which has already seen over 68,000 homes retrofitted to date through a total exchequer spend of over €128 million.

“The programme provides funding of up to €22,800 per property for fabric upgrade works to dwellings with solid/hollow block wall construction and includes the provision of heating upgrades such as heat pumps and solar panels.

“As well as improving the energy efficiency of Ireland’s social housing stock, the programme also brings about reductions in people’s heating bills and helps tackle fuel poverty. Regional Development Fund.”