Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We absolutely support the budgets. In fact, to the credit of this committee, in respect of the Department and the area of embodied carbon and emissions arising from the built environment, we have done strong cross-party work. We produced two reports which we have sent to the Minister. It is disappointing that many of the recommendations relevant to this Bill are not in it but we will deal with those as we go.

There is an important issue here. Many of us spoke at the Irish Green Building Council's report card event recently. The Minister's party colleague, Senator Fitzpatrick, was there. There was a sense in which, particularly in areas of planning, building control and public procurement, including public procurement in social and affordable housing, the Department is behind the curve in comparison to countries, such as France and Denmark. Some examples include putting in place the methodologies to be able to assess whole-life carbon in the built environment; to promote the use of new building technologies, including timber over heights of 10 m; ensuring, through changes to planning law, that we have far greater clarity and certainty in terms of restricting demolition when it is not necessary; ensuring that we have reuse of building materials beyond landfill by way of planning conditions; and also ensuring that, particularly in all social and affordable housing funded by the State, we are achieving the highest levels of sustainable development. That is all directly relevant to this. It is not only the view of many of us in opposition. It is the view of many professionals out there. They expressed their concern on the floor of the Irish Green Building Council's report card event that on those areas that fall within the purview of the Department, to which the national planning framework and this amendment are essential, it is way behind the curve.

Carbon emissions in the built environment is the fourth largest area of carbon emissions. Over the next number of years, it will grow to be the third or second. Therefore, unless we properly prioritise - as this amendment does - sustainable development, it will not matter a whit if it is in the Long Title of the Bill.

I did not intend to come back again but the Minister misrepresented our position with respect to the Government's climate action plan, which we support, and specifically those areas that the committee has repeatedly been raising and to which the Minister has yet to take any action. Part B of the building regulations currently being reviewed. It is crucial. It is directly relevant to this amendment -----