To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any additional support he is considering to improve energy efficiency in homes to help mitigate the impact of Winter Fuel Payment cuts, particularly given the high proportion of older and less energy-efficient housing stock in Northern Ireland.

My department is currently preparing a consultation on evidence-based options for a domestic energy efficiency programme in line with Action 7 of the Energy Strategy Action Plan for 2024. The outcome of this consultation will help to inform options regarding the design, rules, and guidance of future support. In the interim, the department is working with partners such as the Utility Regulator to assess the options for further scaling of up existing energy efficiency programmes. In this context, my department has provided additional funding of £1m to NISEP in 2023-24 and £2.5m in 2024-25.