€13.2 million funding is to be invested in the Better Energy Communities Scheme this year, the Minister for Energy has announced.

Minister Alex White also confirmed that almost one-sixth of Irish homes had benefited from Government-funded energy efficiency upgrades, supporting an average of 3,500 jobs a year.

The Scheme is managed by the the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

Minister White said: "We need individuals, communities and businesses to engage with the energy agenda if we are to build a more sustainable society. That is why public consultation has been a central pillar of the energy policy paper, which I intend to publish this year. Through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, more than €300 million in grants have already been provided to householders under the Better Energy Programme. This has delivered energy efficiency upgrades to more than 275,000 homes – nearly one sixth of all homes in the country.

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"By using less energy, most of which comes from imported fossil fuels, we’re not just saving money, we're also putting people back to work. The companies active in the Better Energy Programme employ people to carry out energy efficiency upgrades. This means that much of what we spend goes back into our communities. It is estimated that the programme has supported an average of 3,500 jobs over the past three years."

Dr Brian Motherway, CEO of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which manages the scheme, said: "It is heartening to see the growth in communities tackling the issue of sustainable energy in a positive way, reaping the gains of local employment, cost savings and environmental improvement. Collaboration is the future of energy retrofitting in Ireland, with the benefits felt right across the community."

(CD/IT)