Vol. 505 No. 3
213 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if the Government has a policy in promoting energy efficient design for residential accommodation; if so, the progress being made to implement this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13839/99]
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. Part L applies to all categories of relevant buildings, including residential accommodation. Technical Guidance Document L – TGD-L – which accompanies the regulations, provides guidance on thermal performance standards. The guidance also deals with the means of applying insulation and selecting the thickness of insulation. In December 1997 I published a revised edition of TGD-L. The overall result of the revised guidance will be an energy saving in space heating estimated at up to 10 per cent. My Department has initiated a further and more radical review of the thermal performance and insulation requirements of TGD-L having regard to Ireland's obligations to limit greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol by the years 2008 to 2012. I hope to be in a position to publish relevant proposals for public comment by the end of this year, following consultation with the Building Regulations Advisory Body.
