Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
798. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to exempt one-off houses and extensions to existing houses, under the new building controls and regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14554/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has given preliminary consideration to the arrangements in place for oversight of new single dwellings and extensions to existing dwellings in advance of the full review of the broader operation of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 9 of 2014) which formally commenced on 2 April 2014 and is currently open for public consultation. While costs are determined by market forces and are therefore outside of the scope of my regulatory powers, I recognise the importance of ensuring that the regulations do not impact unduly on one-off housing and extensions to dwellings, particularly in relation to cost. A number of options for addressing this issue have therefore been included in the documents released for public consultation on 2 April 2014, which are available on my Department’s website at the following weblink: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/BuildingStandards/PublicConsultations/.
The closing date for the receipt of submissions is 15 May 2014. This will allow my Department to produce an early report on the matter with a view to ensuring that any changes deemed appropriate to the regulations will be effected as a matter of priority.
