Offaly minister welcomes warmer homes project in the county

Residents of housing association homes and local authority housing in Offaly are in for a warmer winter, thanks to funding streams welcomed by Minister for State, Senator and junior minister in the Department of Agriculture, Pippa Hackett.

Offaly County Council is set to receive €3.33m for retrofitting its houses.

“The funding is coming from carbon tax and will be used to retrofit local authority homes, meaning warmer homes for those living in local authority housing,” says Minister Hackett. “It will also provide a local employment boost as these works are carried out.”

It’s part of a total spend of €20m allocated under the Midlands Retrofit Project and shared between eight local authorities. Offaly County Council is now commencing a survey.

“This allocation will provide for energy efficiency renovations to approximately 750 local authority homes across the region,” says Minister Hackett. “The funding will also help provide an economic stimulus to the regions most affected by Bord na Móna and ESB closures.”

Meanwhile, homes managed by Approved Housing Bodies, along within Offaly commercial and community buildings are receiving energy upgrades through the Community Energy Grant Scheme administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). €28m is to be spent on 39 projects nationwide, including the deep retrofitting of a number of homes, and an upgrade of the Tullamore Court Hotel.

“Through this scheme, the Government is helping to deliver three important and very beneficial outcomes,” says Minister Hackett.

“We are supporting people to improve their homes and buildings so they will be more comfortable and waste less energy.  We are expanding retrofit work, creating new green sustainable jobs in communities across Ireland and helping to grow companies.  We are also cutting emissions thereby delivering a better environment for all of us.  

“My colleague Eamon Ryan TD Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment intends to use funding from the recently-announced July stimulus package to expand the Communities scheme so we can further grow the retrofit sector and benefit many more people in the months and years ahead.