Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 November 2021
289. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which developments at COP26 in Glasgow are likely to affect house building here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55432/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs COP 26 takes place, we have published the Climate Action Plan 2021. This plan sets a roadmap for taking decisive action to halve our emissions by 2030 and reach net zero no later than 2050, as committed to in the Programme for Government.
The actions in Housing for All, our new housing plan for Ireland have been developed to support the targets and objectives of the Climate Action Plan, setting out a pathway to economic, societal and environmental sustainability in the delivery of housing. Actions include:
- Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) regulations will ensure that all homes built in the future will meet advanced energy performance standards whilst also providing comfortable, healthy homes with reduced carbon emissions. These homes will also take account of risks such as fire safety, ventilation and durability.
- Rollout the Social Housing National Retrofitting Programme which aims to retrofit 36,500 local authority dwellings by 2030 to reach BER B2 or equivalent. A budget of €85 million in 2022 will see approximately 2,400 units delivered under the programme.
- The National Planning Framework has embedded the policy of compact growth into the overall strategy for the country.
- Maximising the use of our existing housing stock, especially in our towns and cities, through the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund to support the refurbishment of vacant homes and a new Local Authority-led programme for the CPO of vacant properties for resale on the open market.
The transition to an energy efficient and fossil fuel free built environment will provide extensive social, economic and environmental benefits in the short as well as long-term. This process will bring about reduced energy costs and more comfortable, healthier, safer, and less costly to heat and cool, homes enhancing our living standards, improving our air quality and helping to address energy poverty. It will also improve energy security and reduce Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels in addition to other significant co-benefits for the environment and socio-economic development.
My colleague, the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications has committed to the retrofitting of 500,000 homes to BER B2 standard by 2030, and installing 600,000 renewable energy heating sources in both new and existing residential buildings.
My Department has committed to actions across diverse areas such as planning systems, wind energy, climate science, climate services, social housing retrofitting and peatlands restoration to deliver the Climate Action Plan for the years ahead.
This Government is committed to the transformational shift of our economies and societies towards climate resilient and sustainable development. Ireland is supporting and driving many climate related actions across a local and a national level and we will continue with this work while also working with our international partners to drive the climate change agenda.
