Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Of the shallow retrofit for those built between 2013 and 2021, we have done 75,000 which is 54%. Generally, the social housing stock is on target to reach 36,500 retrofits by 2030. Speaking about the private sector and how we can reduce emissions overall, there is the reuse of existing buildings to which the Deputy made reference earlier and implementing embodied carbon requirements to new buildings, which we are doing. I take Deputy Bruton's point that it is not included in the climate target. Nevertheless, it is an important feature in regard to quantifying what is involved and the cost. Carbon emissions from the manufacture and construction is 10% of all carbon emissions. All new buildings at the moment must be of an A-rating. We are seeing that 86% of all new buildings at the moment have heat pumps. We are pushing that area. When the energy performance building directive is brought into play, it will be very important.

I want to put it in context. Deputy Whitmore made the point recently. The targeted reduction for the sectoral emissions ceilings for the built environment is 40%. The targeted reductions in the Climate Action Plan 2023 for the whole building environment, that is residential and commercial, is 45% to 55%. The EPA, in its recently published greenhouse gas emissions projection report, states we are on target and that the emissions from the energy sector are projected to decrease by between 36% and 47% between 2021 and 2030. Thus, based on independent analysis we are very much on target to meet our requirements under housing. We want to improve on that.