Ms Marion Jammet:

With regard to modern methods of construction and modularity, there are two things we might like to highlight. There are a number of considerations. First, we need to support leaner designs that require less material. That is one thing. We have good examples from other countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark, where this type of modular home has been designed. It could be a two- or three-floor building that is designed in such a way that a one-bedroom apartment could become a three-bedroom apartment at some point and vice versa. Clearly we need innovation. It needs to be considered if we look at our demographic trends. We will have more and more smaller households so we cannot rely 100% on three-bedroom detached properties. We need to ensure they are built in the right way and modular construction is one of the solutions to ensure buildings can be more easily adapted. It is also potentially a solution to ensure that it would be easier for an elderly household to stay in the area they want to. It could be easier for them to downsize and for us make sure we keep specific places more lively. There is definitely potential there.

On bio-based material for construction, there are far more timber-frame buildings in Scotland so I would not necessarily rely on the climate. We need to do more testing, but we need to facilitate innovation in that field. Ireland has a large agricultural sector so potentially we also have a lot of opportunities for bio-based construction materials, especially if we consider that measurement of whole life carbon will become mandatory at a European level from 2028. It is already mandatory in other member states. In some countries, such as the Netherlands and France, that have already regulated that field with targets, we are seeing a transition more and more to this type of product. It is also about building capacity.