Laois County Council has been allocated €3.3 million of a €20 million pot for retrofitting houses in the county.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien announed the money was been redistributed from Carbon Tax collection to eight local authorities under the Midlands Retrofit Project.
Under the proposed allocations Offaly, Laois, Kildare, Westmeath and Longford Local Authorities are to receive €3.33 million euro each and Roscommon, Galway and Tipperary are to receive €1.11 million euro each.
Laois County Council is currently commencing a survey to determine how best the money will be spent.
Local Senator Fiona O’Loughlin welcomed the news.
She said: “This allocation will provide for energy efficiency renovations to approximately 750 local authority homes. This funding will also help provide an economic stimulus to the regions most affected by Bord na Móna and ESB closures.
“The Programme for Government contains ambitious targets for retrofitting and this scheme marks the start of that and will upgrade the energy efficiency of social housing stock in the Midlands.
“It aims to upgrade properties to B2 Building Energy Rating or cost optimal level with heat pumps where appropriate.
“The focus of the retrofit programme will begin in the midlands, where fossil fuel use is highest, and where communities have been negatively impacted by the closure of peat-fired power stations.
“It is expected that works to each dwelling will take approximately 3 to 4 weeks with minimal internal disruption to the occupants. I’d like to thank the Local Authorities for their work in this regard and look forward to this scheme progressing.”
SEE ALSO – ‘You’d freeze in them’ – Outrage as estates in Laois left off retrofitting list
