A total of €28 million in Government funding has been allocated for 39 community energy projects through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Eamon Ryan TD, announced the funding under the Community Energy Grant Scheme.

The grants, administered by the SEAI, will support projects with a total investment value of almost €74 million. The investment will deliver energy upgrades to nearly 1,500 homes and community and commercial buildings throughout the country. The successful communities will benefit from warmer and healthier buildings, lower energy bills, and reduced harmful CO2 emissions. The projects will also deliver significant employment benefits locally and nationally.

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The grant offers include €4.3 million specifically for projects delivering aggregated home retrofit upgrades.

Minister Ryan said: "Through this scheme, the Government is helping to deliver three important and very beneficial outcomes. 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. I intend 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."

William Walsh, CEO of SEAI said: "The Government's Climate Action Plan recognises the central role of communities in achieving our climate action ambitions. SEAI is working with hundreds of energy communities across the country, providing them with the knowledge and the means to plan their own ambitious low-carbon pathway. Government-funded grants are a key support for communities ready to invest in sustainable energy solutions to meet their needs. The achievements of these communities can be replicated, drawing more citizens into Ireland's clean energy transition."