The Government, as part of its Jobs Initiative package, has allocated additional expenditure of €30 million in 2011 to the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources for the national energy retrofitting programme.
Additional Exchequer funding of €19 million is to be supplemented by €11 million savings from within that Department’s existing allocation. This will double the funding for the Retrofit Home Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programmes in the second half of this year.
Energy efficiency works are more labour intensive than other capital programmes and are therefore expected to support additional jobs, as well as deliver long-term savings to households and to the economy in terms of carbon savings.
Under the Retrofit Programme, each €10 million of Exchequer funding provides leverage for up to €15 million in private sector spending. The size of Exchequer funding for this measure in future years will be considered in the capital review, to be conducted by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.