Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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I commend the Irish Green Building Council, and Dr. Kinnane and his colleagues Richard O'Hegarty and Stephen Wall on their report containing a really interesting analysis of where we are and where we need to go. I think this session may have borne it out that there are so many questions and so many possible decisions, solutions and steps that need to be taken. Perhaps a further iteration of the report could capture some of the very interesting conversations that we had today. We will certainly do our best in compiling the report which we will publish in the next seven or eight weeks. We have quite a few reports building up now. We are trying to take these issues very seriously, capture the critical points, highlight the issues to the general public and put pressure on government and the wider system to go in the right direction. The witnesses present today are probably better placed to get into the nuts and bolts of the policy measures, instruments, legislative changes and regulatory changes that are required. It would be really good to see some of those things captured in a further draft. However, I must say that it is an excellent report and I will continue to read it in the next few days.

I think all the witnesses for coming in today. While I know she had to leave, I also thank Ms Lindblom from the European Commission for taking time out to tell us about the European energy performance in buildings directive and what other countries In Europe are doing. We will have a third session on this issue soon. Ironically or perhaps appropriately we will be going through the circular economy Bill in the next few weeks in this committee and in the Houses of the Oireachtas. This is also very relevant to that legislation. I hope the discussion we have had influences legislation that will be enacted in the coming months.