Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for attending. I appreciate it. This is an important topic. I have questions on planning, and we might have an opportunity to deal with them at a future point.

What has been achieved in new builds emphasises the importance of compulsory action. Guidance is all well and good, but when we get down to it, people choose things that are familiar or feel like the best option from a cost point of view. What are the witnesses' thoughts on Croí Cónaithe? Was an opportunity missed to insert regulations on energy ratings, particularly as regards heat pumps? People must apply separately for SEAI grant funding. Instead of that choice being left to the individual, what if people applying for Croí Cónaithe funding were required to bring buildings up to a certain rating and to install heat pumps? We might see the numbers increase.

I am concerned about how Croí Cónaithe is not just about town centres. Town centres were mentioned, but Croí Cónaithe has been expanded beyond its original purpose and now reaches one-off dwellings. This means that further climate action measures are probably required.

Local authorities' climate action plans are in development, but what will be required from a building energy rating point of view? Much of what the witnesses have spoken about relates to social housing or new builds but local authorities' remit goes beyond those to older buildings.

Leaving aside new builds, are we on track to meet the targets? What steps is the Department taking year on year to ensure they are being met? It is difficult to see from all of the statistics and numbers being given and from the climate action plan exactly which measure brings us to what level of reduction. A figure of 86% sounds high, but what is that in terms of a building's overall energy? I am not clear on that. Existing buildings are the elephant in the room. We do not really have an idea about where they stand.