Vol. 573 No. 1
260 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the proposals he has to bring forward legislation to ensure that all local authority housing stock is up to building regulation standards by a specific date, which would cover the issues of double glazing and central heating. [24358/03]
The national building regulations apply inter alia to the construction, material alteration, or extension of all buildings, which commenced on or after 1 June 1992. My Department is continuously updating and amending the building regulations and publishing comprehensive technical guidance documents on compliance with the regulations for the benefit of the general public, the building industry and the building control authorities. The building regulations, which apply on a common basis to all residential developments, are not, and are not designed to be, retrospective.
Since 1994, my Department has required that central heating be provided during construction in new local authority dwellings and included in the overall cost of the schemes. Where capital funding is provided to local authorities by my Department under the remedial works scheme, new works must comply with the building regulations, where applicable. The building regulations do not require the provision of central heating. In general, works to local authority housing under the remedial works scheme would include the provision of central heating and replacement of windows.
In bringing forward proposals under the remedial works scheme, housing authorities are encouraged to apply standards that are as close as practicable to new build. The degree to which this can be achieved can vary, depending on the age, location, design and construction of the housing concerned.
Local authorities may also seek my Department's approval to use their internal capital receipts which are surplus to the requirements of the local authority housing construction and remedial works programmes for the provision of central heating and/or window replacement in their rented housing stock.
