Sean Kelly will host a regional event on retrofitting Irish homes

Seán Kelly MEP (Ireland South) will host a high-level event entitled "Retrofitting Ireland: Building Resilience in Irish Homes" at the University of Limerick on Friday, July 28th from 10.30am, where expert speakers will outline the urgent need to improve the energy efficiency of buildings to reduce household bills and help achieve our climate goals. 

"Ireland is home to approximately 1.7 million occupied homes, housing a population of over five million. These homes collectively consume about a quarter of the country's energy and are responsible for 29% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. With the ambitious goal of retrofitting nearly 30% of the residential housing stock (500,000 homes) and installing over 400,000 heat pumps, Ireland has set strong decarbonisation targets for the residential sector", MEP Kelly said in announcing the event.

“Buildings play a significant role in the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions across the European Union. As part of the EU's commitment to combat climate change, various policies have been established to reduce carbon emissions in buildings. Home retrofitting is very personal, therefore, this event is about bringing ambitious EU actions directly to the people by discussing what options and solutions are available to them to play their part," Kelly added.

Elected representatives, Irish and EU policy experts, industry leaders, and citizens will discuss and strategize the path towards more energy-efficient and sustainable homes in the country. The critical issue of energy inefficiency in Irish homes will be the focus of a panel discussion exploring the opportunities, challenges, and financing options to insulate homes for a sustainable future.

Expert speakers will include:

Sean Michael Collins, Head of AIB Homes in Area South
Hubert Fitzpatrick, Director General of Construction Industry Federation
Ciaran Byrne, Director of National Retrofit at SEAI
Julien Tami, Policy Officer - National renovation strategies, funding and international cooperation on buildings policy at the European Commission
Niall O'Connor, Managing Director of Kingspan Insulation Ireland

Carol Meehan, Commercial Director, AIB Homes, will deliver the opening address. Additionally, Kieran O'Donnell, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, will share his insights on the subject. Following the panel discussion, there will be closing remarks by Senator Maria Byrne and MEP Kelly.

To complement the panel discussion, an exhibition area will showcase some of the country's best one-stop shops for sustainable home solutions, including electric vehicle charging companies, district heating providers, solar energy companies, and Allied Irish Bank (AIB) - the event's partner. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to network and learn more about the latest technologies and financing options available for home retrofitting - more details are here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/retrofitting-ireland-building-resilience-into-irish-homes-tickets-653958666977?aff=oddtdtcreator

Follow the event live online via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXjuyPGgmtQ