Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 November 2016
20. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the standards in place or the guidelines provided by his Department to local authorities to ensure that all new social housing new builds funded through the Exchequer meet the highest possible energy efficiency, water efficiency and environmental sustainability standards. [35433/16]
View answerIt is important that the public sector continues to show leadership in the areas of energy efficiency, water efficiency and environmental sustainability, including in the provision of social housing. My Department has published best practice design guidelines, Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities, which promote environmental sustainability and resource efficiency in new housing, including social housing.
Part L of the Building Regulations deals with the conservation of fuel & energy and applies equally to all new social housing and new private housing. In respect of dwellings, taking the energy efficiency requirements established in 2005 as the benchmark, the current requirement delivers a 60% aggregate improvement in both energy and carbon performance. A further amendment to Part L will be made by my Department over the coming months, in order to ensure that Ireland meets its 'nearly zero energy buildings' obligation under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive by 2020.
Furthermore the Building Regulations (Part L Amendment) Regulations 2011 require that renewables are included on all new dwellings, including new social housing, which has contributed to both improving energy efficiency and environmental sustainability through reducing carbon dioxide emissions within the built environment.
