Mr. Seán Armstrong:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to address it on the topic of the energy performance of buildings directive, EPBD. I am joined by Mr. Derek Rafferty, head of the governance and rental standards unit, and Ms Margaret Power, assistant principal at the climate action policy unit.

Housing for All sets out a target of an average of 33,000 new dwellings per annum. The State plans to invest €20 billion in the next five years, which is the largest investment in the history of the State. Over its lifetime, Housing for All seeks to eradicate homelessness and promote social inclusion. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is implementing a range of ambitious decarbonisation actions for housing, planning, marine and natural heritage protection and analysis of Ireland's climate. In 2021, we worked with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and a range of other Departments and agencies to publish the climate action plan.

Housing for All takes account of our climate action targets though the following policies: the implementation of nearly zero energy buildings through our building regulations, which will ensure that while we achieve more energy-efficient buildings, we also build healthy, sustainable and durable buildings suitable for the Irish climate, both today and into the future; and the Department's retrofitting programme for local authority housing, which is an essential measure to target climate justice. The Department plans to retrofit approximately 40% or 36,500 local authority dwellings not currently performing to a building energy rating, BER, of B2 to get them to B2 or cost optimal level by 2030 at an estimated cost of €1.2 billion.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has lead responsibility for the EPBD in Ireland. However, overall policy responsibility is shared between that Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Transport. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, also has a lead role in the implementation of the EPBD and supporting the development of regulations.

Since the first enactment of the EPBD in 2002, Ireland has implemented the building energy rating system for new buildings and existing buildings which are rented or sold since 2007. We introduced requirements for nearly zero energy buildings for buildings other than dwellings in 2017 and dwellings in 2019. We have set the building regulations performance requirement for major renovations where more than 25% of the surface area of the building is renovated to a BER of B2 or the cost optimal level. In 2021 we set a requirement that electric vehicle charging infrastructure be installed in new buildings or buildings undergoing major renovation which have more than ten parking spaces and in certain existing non-residential buildings from 2025.

Ireland is viewed internationally as an exemplar in the implementation of the EPBD with all new dwellings now requiring an A rating. Recent Central Statistics Office analysis shows that heat pumps are installed as the main heating system in 80% of new dwellings and oil boilers are being effectively phased out in new dwellings. The building energy rating system is also viewed as an international exemplar, with a centralised database and a robust quality assurance and auditing system. A total of 58% of all dwellings have received a building energy rating.

Ireland supports in principle the proposals for the 2022 review of the EPBD. These align with the Climate Action Plan 2021 and Housing for All. We are supportive of the proposals for zero emissions buildings, minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings, declarations of the global warming potential of new buildings and further requirements for electric vehicle recharging Infrastructure. Some of these proposals will require further assessment as they may impact on costs and the supply of housing to the market. The requirement for minimum energy performance standards for existing dwellings is in line with the Housing for All commitments to introduce, where feasible, minimum building energy ratings for rented properties from 2025. The Department proposes that the impact of minimum energy performance standards should also consider traditional buildings, which may have specific technical challenges.

The Department supports the requirement for declarations of global warming potential and proposes that it should be aligned with the timeline for the review of the construction products regulation. The certification of construction products, in accordance with the construction products regulation when reviewed, will ensure that environmental certification is in place throughout the EU Single Market to support global warming potential declarations for new buildings and drive the decarbonisation of construction supply chains. Further proposals on the provision of electric vehicle recharging infrastructure and bicycle parking are also welcome inclusions.

In addition to the points I have outlined, there are proposals on the harmonisation of energy performance certificates, or building energy ratings as they are known in Ireland, carbon removals associated with carbon storage and the calculation of cost optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements. We are happy to discuss all of these in more detail with the committee today.

We are working very hard to meet housing demand through new builds and the private rental sector. We have ambitious targets in terms of the quantity, type and location of homes to be delivered and we are also ambitious for climate action, including energy efficient housing. Through robust implementation of the EPBD and our building regulations we are ensuring the homes we are building for future generations continue to achieve the high standards we are setting for decarbonising our built environment. We are happy to address any question the committee may have.