Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 February 2005
348 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a target in the National Climate Change Strategy for Ireland 2000 (details supplied); and the progress which has been made towards meeting this target; and the goals outlined elsewhere in the strategy. [3048/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 235 of 9 December 2004. The energy rating initiatives envisaged in chapter six of the National Climate Change Strategy were overtaken by the adoption by the EU of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) — 2002/91/EC of 16 December 2002. The EPBD must be legally transposed by January 2006. The directive mandates energy performance certification of all new buildings, and virtually all categories of existing buildings when they are being sold or let, no later than January 2009.
An interdepartmental working group comprising officials from my Department, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Sustainable Energy Ireland have developed a draft action plan for the purposes of implementing the directive. I received a copy of the draft from SEI on 7 December 2004. The draft incorporates a proposed timetable for implementation. SEI has advised that a revised version of this plan will be submitted to my Department shortly. It is intended to publish the draft action plan for public/industry comment within the next couple of months. The National Climate Change Strategy is under ongoing review. Preliminary greenhouse gas emissions figures released by the Environmental Protection Agency in July 2004 indicate that emissions in 2003 were 24.7% above 1990 levels, down from approximately 29% in 2002 and 31% in 2001.
