Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy O'Dowd that the presentations were very informative. My first question is to the Department. What happens now with the fire safety report? Will there be further research to confirm the extent to which fire safety measures are in place and will this research be ongoing?

In light of the necessity for new buildings, does the fire department have the necessary resources to scale up its work? I ask the same question of the architectural department. Does it have the resources to conduct the necessary inspections?

Ms Hegarty spoke of a feedback loop. What does she mean by that in regard to the Department and how will it happen? She spoke of the physics of buildings and of dampness. Mr. O'Mahony said residents will now have to come up with a piece of equipment to suck air out. What is happening there? We have always been aware of dampness in buildings but is it a growing problem as a result of changes in temperatures? Is there more moisture as a result of climate change? Is it related to the way buildings are designed?

We spoke to Ms Neary at the meeting of the Committee on Climate Action yesterday. We spoke about renovating older housing stock and the deep retrofitting of buildings. Does she expect this will help mitigate the problem of dampness? Could it contribute to dampness if the physics is not properly dealt with?