Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 2 July 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action
Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion
11:00 am
Mr. Hubert Fitzpatrick:
That is exactly right. That is why planning permission for various buildings has not been taken up. It is too expensive to build them, and no client can afford to do so.
The Senator made a point abut Georgian buildings with which I agree. We need to talk about appropriate standards that are safe. There are building regulations. It would be important to get all of those buildings back into use. They do not necessarily have to be put to the same use as they were previously. I agree we need to consider how to protect the facade. If a building is not viable and has been unoccupied for many years, the internal fabric is deteriorating.