Dublin Councillors Back ‘Warm Homes for All’. Now Budget 2026 Must Deliver

Blog by Aaron Downey, Global Citizenship Education and Activism Support Officer

Two Dublin City Council area committees have taken an important step toward tackling energy poverty, poor-quality housing, and climate emissions by passing motions that support increased investment in local authority retrofitting.

The motions were unanimously supported by councillors in both the Dublin North West and Dublin South Central Area Committees and tabled by Councillors Conor Reddy and Ray Cunningham, respectively.

Together, the motions call on Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing to:

• Increase and commit multi-annual funding to the Local Authority Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme
• Prioritise upgrades to the poorest-performing social housing stock
• Accelerate the roll-out of retrofitting in order to meet climate targets and deliver regeneration for communities

These motions align with the goals of Friends of the Earth’s Warm Homes for All: Tenants for Climate Justice campaign, which is focused on securing targeted, publicly funded energy upgrades for the households most affected by energy poverty and fossil fuel dependency.

Addressing Housing Inequality and Climate Commitments

Retrofitting is widely recognised as one of the most effective ways to cut emissions, lower household energy bills, and reduce energy poverty. However, retrofitting policy in Ireland remains heavily skewed toward higher-income homeowners, with social housing tenants and private renters often left behind. Long waiting lists and inconsistent funding make it difficult for local authorities to plan and deliver deep retrofits at the scale required.

The motions passed this week show a growing recognition among elected representatives that local authorities need sustained, predictable support to carry out this vital work. Funding certainty and multi-annual allocations in Budget 2026 are essential to ensuring that retrofitting programmes can be planned efficiently, reach those most in need, and contribute meaningfully to Ireland’s national climate targets.

Tackling Energy Poverty with Long-Term Solutions

Recent data from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) shows that one in four domestic gas customers and 13% of electricity customers are now in arrears. These figures reflect the persistent pressure many households face from high energy costs and poor housing conditions, particularly in the rental and social housing sectors.

In response, Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to use Budget 2026 to implement a set of ambitious but achievable measures, including:

• Scale up public funding to retrofit all social housing , starting with the poorest quality homes with the lowest BERs.
• Commit to multi-annual allocations in Budget 2026 to ensure local authorities can plan and deliver deep energy upgrades that reduce fossil fuel dependence.

These proposals are backed by expert bodies such as the Climate Change Advisory Council and the Fiscal Advisory Council, who have both warned that failure to act now will carry steep financial and environmental costs, with a future bill facing the state of between €8 and €26 billion if we fail to curb emissions urgently.

Next Steps: Budget 2026 and the NDP Review

There is currently no dedicated investment plan for social housing retrofitting in the 2025 National Development Plan. Without this and appropriate commitments made in the Budget, local authorities remain constrained in what they can deliver.

Friends of the Earth is urging the Government to address this gap by including clear, long-term funding for social housing retrofitting in Budget 2026. This funding is essential not only for meeting national climate targets, but for delivering warm, safe, and affordable homes for those currently living in the coldest and least energy-efficient housing.

The motions passed this month are a sign of growing local support for these priorities. The national government must now follow through with the funding and policy changes needed to turn that vision into reality.