Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte with Dr Brian Motherway, CEO, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and Sam McGuinness, head of the Dublin Simon Community.
Eighty-three community energy projects throughout Ireland will receive €28m in financial support for improvements in homes, community buildings, local authority premises and sports facilities, said Pat Rabbitte, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
As one of the successful applicants to the scheme, the Dublin Simon Community will receive energy sustainability upgrades to a number of their apartments, a training and support centre, along with the purchase of five electric vehicles for the outreach team who work to reduce homelessness.
Last year, the Dublin Simon Community Energy Retrofit Programme greatly improved the working and living conditions of almost 300 residents, staff and volunteers across five of its homeless services and achieved annual energy saving of over 850,000Kwh per annum and generated much needed cost savings which have been channelled back throughout the organisation.
Speaking of the awarding of the funding, Minister Rabbitte said: “Organisations around the country like the Dublin Simon Community are alert to the high cost of energy in their facilities and that every euro saved can be diverted back into valuable services for the community. Today’s announcement signals this Government’s continued commitment to energy retrofitting.”
Other organisations to be awarded the funding include Donegal County Council who have partnered with St Vincent de Paul among others to upgrade 14 homes power as well as a local waste water treatment plant.
