Wexford scheme has warmed 2500 homes & created jobs

Wexford Local Development

By Allen Meagher

Around ten Local Development Companies (LDCs) are delivering the Better Energy Homes Scheme around the country along with 20 other community-based organisations.

 
In Wexford, it’s been such a success that Wexford Local Development (WLD) were invited to showcase their work at an OECD/Pobal conference held in Dublin in October to examine local responses to long-term unemployment.

They’ve made winters warmer for 2500 households, created a half-dozen full-time jobs and train 25 people at a time (formerly long-term unemployed) in a jobs growth area. If you qualify for the fuel allowance, own your own home and it was built before 2002, you qualify for WLD’s retrofitting scheme.

 
The Warm Project surveys a home to see what energy efficiency measures are needed and can then step in with attic insulation, cavity wall insulation, draught proofing of doors and windows, installs lagging jackets, low energy light bulbs and provides energy advice to the householders.

Brian Kehoe

Brian Kehoe, CEO of WLD, explained to people who visited his exhibition stand at the OECD/Pobal conference that nobody is displaced by the work since it delivers warmer homes to people who could not afford to pay for it themselves.
 
“A lot of the people who apply are elderly, long-term unemployed, or have disabilities, exactly the kind of people we want to support.”
 
“If one person gets it done, a neighbour is likely to give us a call. And local social welfare offices help in getting the word out too,” he said.
 
A study some years earlier found many people, particularly elderly, suffered health problems due to draughty and damp houses. This Warm Project addresses the issue. All participants on the project receive FETAC accredited training in “Installing Thermal Insulation” and also receive training in Health & Safety, Manual Handling, Safe Pass etc., and also received industry recognised training in cavity wall insulation.

WLD would “embrace” the opportunity to up-skill its workforce and get them working on the installation of solar panels, renewable energy heating systems, rain water harvesting systems and external wall insulation.
 
The scheme is managed by WLD, working in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, FÁS and other partners such as the ESB. Funding from SEAI for 2011 was approximately €520,000.
The Warm Project is an important part of WLD’s labour market strategy under the LCDP.
 
www.wld.ie