Mr. Declan Meally:

There are ongoing discussions with the Department on building regulations, both for retrofit and for new standards of buildings. Over the years, for example, we have tested new housing designs and so on as we were proving building regulations and as they were catching up. We are also involved in the building energy rating of homes and the energy performance of buildings. There are ongoing discussions with SEAI.

As for the setting of the standards of new housing, we feed into that and understand what is there. Part of our focus will be to try to ensure that as much of the retrofitting as possible will be carried out, because that will then use the housing stock that has the carbon embodied within it.

The other part of this, which both I and we as an organisation will be pushing for, relates to town centre revival and using streetscapes and areas above shops that are vacant and could be developed and turned into residential areas. Again, there are opportunities in that regard where carbon is embodied within that. That will involve refurbishment but it will bring on another form of housing stock and opportunities to create the living space within towns and to see that taking off.

In short, we are continually engaging, but the new housing stock is within the gift of the Department and its function under Housing for All.