Councils Across Ireland Back Retrofitting of Local Authority Housing

Friends of the Earth calls on Government to deliver significant funding for retrofitting, targeting worst-performing social housing stock in Budget 2026.

Pre-budget demonstration on energy costs organised for Tuesday 30th September.

Friends of the Earth has welcomed the wave of local authority motions passed in recent weeks calling for urgent government action to step up funding for retrofitting council housing on a multi-annual basis. The growing cross-party consensus demonstrates that warm, affordable, climate-friendly homes must be at the heart of both housing and climate policy.

 

• In Meath, Cllr Ronan Moore brought forward a motion for the 1st of September meeting, also spoken to by Cllr Alan Tobin, which was agreed by the council [1]. 
• The following week, South Dublin County Council passed a motion introduced by Cllr Eoin Ó Broin, and supported by Cllr Niamh Whelan, Cllr Róisín Mannion, and Cllr Jess Spear on the same issue [2]. 
• Also on the same day, Cllr Leonard Kelly successfully led a motion in Wexford County Council calling for stronger retrofitting commitments [3].
• Cllr Hugh Lewis, working with CATU (Community Action Tenants’ Union) Dún Laoghaire, successfully proposed a motion in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council calling for additional central funding to upgrade council housing and day units [4]. 
• On 11th September 2025, Waterford City and County Council passed a motion brought forward by Cllr Catherine Burke and supported by Cllr Thomas Phelan.
• These motions add to the momentum generated in July when Dublin City Council’s Local Area Committees (North West and South Central areas) backed Friends of the Earth’s Warm Homes for All campaign [5]. 

 

They demonstrate the need for Budget 2026 to deliver significant, multi-annual funding for retrofitting, prioritising the worst-performing social housing stock and accelerating delivery to meet climate and regeneration goals. Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to respond to this groundswell of local leadership. 

 

Aaron Downey, Lead on the Tenants for Climate Justice campaign, said:

“Local councillors across the country are showing real leadership. Retrofitting social housing is not only a climate imperative but a matter of fairness, ensuring families can live in warm homes without being burdened by high energy bills. The Government must now step up with a major, fully-funded national programme that leaves no tenant behind.”

 

Friends of the Earth are also organising a pre-budget demonstration to further highlight this the issue of energy costs on Tuesday the 30th September at 1PM outside Dáil Éireann, Kildare St. Titled ‘Energy for Who?’, the event will focus on high energy costs and address how large energy users such as data centres are tearing through our climate commitments, burning fossil fuels, and increasing energy prices for ordinary consumers which risks increasing energy poverty. [6]

 

Clare O’Connor, Heat Programme Coordinator with Friends of the Earth, said:

“Local councillors are demanding action, but the Government is still dragging its feet while families freeze in cold, damp homes. Retrofitting social housing is not optional - it’s a matter of fairness and is necessary to stay within our climate obligations. Yet, instead of committing long-term funding for warmer homes, the state is sacrificing our energy system for data centres that blow past our climate commitments and could leave us facing billions in EU non-compliance costs. The Government must invest in warm, affordable, pollution-free homes for tenants. That’s why we’ll be at the Dáil on September 30th to demand that Budget 2026 delivers lower energy bills, multi-annual retrofit funding, and puts people’s needs ahead of corporate interests.”

ENDS

Notes

1. https://meathlive.net/2025/09/08/moore-looks-for-more-retrofitting-of-council-houses/
2. https://meetings.southdublin.ie/Home/Agenda/2610 
3. https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/sites/default/files/content/Agenda_County_Council_Meeting2025Sept8.pdf 
4. https://dlrcoco.sharepoint.com/sites/dlrMeetingPointPublic/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?viewid=9ce6e5a7%2D9778%2D4d08%2Dae64%2D43b8e4ad391c&ga=1&id=%2Fsites%2FdlrMeetingPointPublic%2FShared%20Documents%2FMeeting%20Documents%2F01%2E%20County%20Council%20Meetings%2FCounty%20Council%20Meetings%202025%2F11%2E%20Monthly%20County%20Council%20Meeting%20%2D%208th%20September%202025%2FFinal%2DAgenda%20September%202025%20County%20Council%20Meeting%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FdlrMeetingPointPublic%2FShared%20Documents%2FMeeting%20Documents%2F01%2E%20County%20Council%20Meetings%2FCounty%20Council%20Meetings%202025%2F11%2E%20Monthly%20County%20Council%20Meeting%20%2D%208th%20September%202025
5. https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/press/dublin-city-councillors-back-warm-homes-for-all-budget-2026/ 
6. https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/events/energy-for-who/