Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
543. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if funding is available to councils to enable them to test their housing stock for radon gas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42514/22]
View answerThe Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 set a minimum standard for decent, safe and secure rental accommodation. These Regulations also focus on tenant safety and include measures covering heating appliances, carbon monoxide and window safety. With very limited exemptions, these apply to social housing as well as private rented residential accommodation. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with the regulations. Responsibility for enforcement rests with the relevant local authority.
The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations. These requirements are set out in 12 parts classified as Parts A to M. Part C – Site Preparation and Resistance to Moisture (1997) and require that reasonable precautions shall be taken to avoid danger to health and safety caused by substances (including radon) found on or in the ground to be covered by a building
Specific advice for local authorities in relation to radon testing on their own social housing stock, is included on the website, www.radon.ie. The EPA has also produced a booklet, ‘Guidance Notes to Local Authorities on Implementing a Radon Measurement Programme’, which is available at the Agency's website at the following link:
www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/radiation/radonadvicetolocalauthorities.html
Testing costs are relatively inexpensive and generally in the €40 to €60 price range and are therefore in the case of individual homes generally funded by local authorities from their management and maintenance budgets. Funding for a strategic and at scale programme of testing and remediation work by a local authority to deal with the issue of Radon can however be sought from my Department under the new planned maintenance funding programme.
