Vol. 498 No. 4
344 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if local authorities use nine inch hollow concrete blocks in the building of county council houses; if so, the county councils which use them; and, if not, the specifications for concrete blocks in use by councils. [27831/98]
345 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the building regulations, if any, in Ireland or in the EU, through directives which control the use of nine inch hollow concrete blocks in building projects; the insulation specifications, if any, which must be met if nine inch hollow blocks are used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27832/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together.
Part L of the building regulations, which applies to the design and construction of new buildings and the reconstruction of existing buildings, sets out the legal requirements to be observed in relation to the conservation of fuel and energy.
Technical guidance document L, which accompanies the regulations, provides guidance on the thermal performance standards for walls independent of the materials used. The guidance also deals with the means of applying insulation and selecting the thickness of insulation using material with various thermal properties.
The building regulations do not in themselves place a restriction on the use of any particular method of construction or product including hollow concrete blocks, provided that such methods and products comply with the legal requirements of the building regulations.
My Department is not aware of any existing or proposed EU directives on the lines outlined by the Deputy.
I understand that hollow concrete blocks are not generally used in the construction of local authority housing. The inner leaf is usually solid concrete blockwork and the outer leaf may be solid concrete blockwork or clay brickwork.
