MINISTER RICHARD BRUTON has announced a number of grants have been approved under the SEAI Communities scheme to deliver energy upgrades to almost 700 homes and 570 community and commercial buildings.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment said the government is providing €25 million to fund proposals developed by 57 communities.He said the funding will support these communities in delivering upgrades in homes and other buildings in their local area. 

Bruton said the work will eliminate 34,676 tonnes of CO2 annually. 

Just two weeks ago the Minister confirmed a reversal of the decision to end the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) home grant scheme. This scheme involves individual applications by homeowners – today’s announcement relates to the community projects scheme. 

The authority had announced it would only give grants to home projects that had already been approved as funding had run out. Announcing the u-turn two weeks ago, Minister Bruton also said he regretted the distress this had caused to homeowners.

Projects approved for funding through the community scheme include: 

• Insulation, lighting, heading and refrigeration upgrades to Waterford libraries, schools, communities centres, GAA clubs, shops and farms;
• In Dublin, Wexford and Kildare, homes, businesses, a church, NCBI charity shops and the Mater Hospital will be upgraded with a combination of lighting upgrades, new heating systems, including Combined Heat and Power and solar PV for generating electricity;
• Wicklow County Council is leading a project in Wicklow and Wexford that will see a selection of homes, leisure centres, recycling centres, public buildings, a bakery and a hotel carry out upgrades on insulation, heating, lighting, refrigeration, heat recovery and steam generation.

Jim Gannon, CEO of SEAI said the authority is working with hundreds of communities across the country to provide them with knowledge and the means to plan their own carbon pathway and deliver on their ambitions. 

“These government funded grants are a key support for communities ready to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions tailored to their needs,” he said.

“The collective achievements of these communities can be replicated, drawing more and more citizens into Ireland’s clean energy transition.”