The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht will meet with Dr Brian Motherway, Chief Executive, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and the representatives from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, tomorrow, Tuesday, 4th December 2012 to discuss building energy regulations and new draft Building Regulations.
Cathaoirleach of the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Michael McCarthy, TD says: “The EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) contains a range of provisions aimed at improving energy performance of residential and non-residential buildings, both new-build and existing. This Directive was adopted into Irish law as Regulation in 2006. New regulations come into effect in January 2013 and we’re looking forward to our meeting with Dr Mortherway to discuss in detail the changes in building energy regulations and how these will impact on building stock in Ireland.”
Following this meeting, the Committee will consider new draft building regulations with representatives from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. There have been a number of high profile failures in the housing sector which have put the State’s role in maintaining and enforcing building regulations in the spotlight. “Tomorrow, we will have an opportunity to consider how the proposed changes to the building control regulations will address the building failures we have seen in housing and apartment developments in recent years, in particular, the introduction of mandatory certification and more meaningful oversight of construction activity by professionals and local authorities,” he adds.