Thomas Gould
Ceist:111. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of private estates that must be delivered under universal design principles. [62645/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 14 December 2022
Ceisteanna (111)
Freagraí scríofa
The Building Regulations set out the minimum legal performance requirements for the design and construction of new buildings (including dwellings) and certain works to existing buildings.
The Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2010, which came into effect on 1 January 2012, set out the minimum statutory requirements that a building must achieve in respect of access and use. The requirements of Part M aim to ensure that regardless of age, size or disability:
- new buildings other than dwellings are accessible and usable;
- extensions to existing buildings other than dwellings are, where practicable, accessible and useable;
- material alterations to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings, where practicable;
- certain changes of use to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings where practicable; and
- new dwellings are visitable.
Part M aims to foster an inclusive approach to the design and construction of the built environment. The accompanying Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use (2010) (TGD M), provides guidance on how the requirements of Part M can be achieved in practice. TGD M is available on my Department’s website at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/78e67-technical-guidance-document-m-access-and-use/#current-edition.
While the Part M requirements may be regarded as a statutory minimum level of provision, the accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, published the "Housing Options for Our Ageing Population" policy statement in 2019 which provides policy options in support of a range of housing and accommodation alternatives for older people. Action 4.6 of Housing Options for Our Ageing Population contains an action to, in ‘partnership with industry, introduce measures to ensure that over a five-year period delivery is increased to ensure that 30% of all new dwellings are built to incorporate Universal Design principles to accommodate our ageing population’.
The policy statement, together with the third and final Implementation Group report, including an update on Action 4.6 as referred to by the Deputy, are available on the Government's website at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/83781d-housing-options-for-our-ageing-population-policy-statement/.