Fiona O'Malley (Dún Laoghaire, Progressive Democrats)

I welcome the Bill, which provides for measures regarding disability access and fire safety, although it is tardy when one considers we are implementing legislation 25 years after the Stardust disaster, which is not a matter of which we can be proud. The Bill also deals with the regulation of professions. However, a most important element of the Bill is that it transposes into Irish law the EU directive on the energy performance of buildings. It is largely to this aspect that I will address my comments.

The energy rating directive is concerned with pollution. The issues of energy, security of supply, our obligations under the Kyoto Protocol and carbon dioxide emissions have moved centre stage as important international geopolitical issues. We find ourselves at the end of a line in terms of supply. Security of supply is a key element, the other being the consumption of energy. The Bill and the directive address the issue of conservation.

As was stated, the heating and cooling of buildings accounts for roughly 45% of energy consumption and results in the corresponding generation of carbon dioxide. Given that the performance of buildings accounts for such a high proportion of consumption, it is important that we institute policies which will seek to get the best performance possible from buildings. Apart from the energy supply needed to heat and cool buildings, we must factor in the additional costs of the carbon dioxide produced as a result. It is an issue we must take seriously.

It is important that we are finally transposing the directive into Irish law. Some have claimed it will result in higher house prices, which is not the case. It is in the long-term interests of householders to have their buildings perform efficiently. We need to encourage and inform householders in this regard.

I appeared on a television programme earlier this week to speak on this matter. It was brought to my attention that the directive will come into law but nobody will know about it, which highlights a problem with the Dáil. It is seen by Members as a glass house and we think that because we are discussing an issue, everybody else is also discussing it. They are not.

We must follow up this issue when the directive is transposed into Irish law. Funding should be made available for an intensive advertising and information campaign to explain it to the public. It is in the long-term interests of householders to have their buildings perform to the highest standards. We have an obligation to inform householders and provide incentives, although I accept that many incentives are currently available. I am a great believer in the carrot rather than the stick. Whether the aim is to encourage people to insulate their attics more efficiently or otherwise, we must try to reduce the national consumption of energy and we must incentivise people to achieve this.

The briefing material suggests carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 22% through efficiencies. This represents a huge bill, with which we will be faced if we do not act. We have signed up to the Kyoto Protocol and we need to be conscious of the consequences of this. We can show we are serious about the protocol by tackling issues which will reduce carbon dioxide levels. The proportion of emissions resulting from housing is greater than that from the transport sector, so we need to get our act together.

Some 70% of housing stock has been built in the past ten years — the Minister may correct me if that figure is wrong. People are now more aware of the energy performance of buildings, largely due to the significant recent increases in the price of gas and oil, and they realise that their homes need better insulation. However, I regret that we are brought to this point kicking and screaming and that we always do the minimum. We should try to introduce provisions which would take from models of best practice, such as Sweden. I accept Sweden has a colder climate but we must look to best practice and try to emulate it.

The owners of the 70% of houses which are under ten years old could have been provided with much more efficient heating systems had we introduced maximal insulation regulations and construction standards. We owe this to householders who are facing huge bills. Most would agree that oil and gas prices are only going one way, namely, up. We need to face this reality. If we do, it might cost a little more to build a house or invest. I heard it would cost an additional €20,000 to €25,000 to build a one-off house to the highest energy efficiency standard. While it is not everybody who can afford that extra money, how long would it take to get that amount back? We need to give people an incentive. A constituent told me of an energy efficiency grant available to a developer building ten units. However, such builders will not necessarily embrace the higher standards as they try to keep costs to a minimum to maximise their profits or to reduce the price to the buyer. We also need to incentivise building one-off houses in the most energy efficient way. We should reconsider the matter and amend the proposal to encourage those building their own homes to do so in the most energy efficient way. It has been indicated that a house built to the highest standards would give the household an annual saving of approximately €1,000. It would not take long for the investment to be returned.

We also need to be very conscious of building management. In addition to heating of buildings, cooling is becoming more common. I heard that an audit was carried out to determine the efficiency of the heating in the Dublin City Council building on Wood Quay. It found that the building is heated and lit for 54% of the time that it is unoccupied, which is quite extraordinary. I heard that, unfortunately, the person responsible did not particularly mind that this was the case. I was horrified to hear that he did not care as long as the lights and heating came on on Monday morning when the employees arrived. Whatever about the lights, heating a building for 54% of the time when it is unoccupied represents an enormous waste of money for the local authority. In addition it produces CO2 emissions.

We need to clamp down and make people think about how they are adding to CO2 emissions, as it will cost us a considerable amount. As most Members will know, when the carbon tax issue was first discussed, it was thought that we might need to pay €10 per tonne. However, it is now at approximately €23 to €25 per tonne and probably increasing. People are insufficiently aware of inefficiencies and their costs. I was in Government Buildings during the week. When I came down the main staircase I was overwhelmed by the heat. Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, runs a campaign in the depths of winter encouraging us all to turn down our thermostats by 1° in order to reduce our bills by 10%. I would recommend that the heating in the vicinity of the main staircase close to the Taoiseach's office be turned down, as it is extremely hot there. We need to lead by example.

All public buildings should meet the highest energy efficiency requirements and not just minimum standards. At the design stage we need to consider how a building is located to maximise the use of natural light etc. We are certainly getting better. We have a very high standard particularly in civic offices throughout the country. We have wonderful examples of modern architecture. I hope as much attention is being paid to the energy efficiency of these buildings. The town hall in Dún Laoghaire is the jewel in the crown of the town. That is a fine 19th century building. The civic offices in Birr, County Offaly, are beautiful and are a wonderful example of a 21st century building. We should spend money on building civic offices to the highest architectural standards. While I have not been there, the civic building in Swords looks beautiful. I hope energy efficiency is considered when they are built.

When introducing legislation we need to ensure it will be well policed. It is in the long-term interest not just of the country in terms of reducing CO2 emissions and the cost of importing fossil fuels but also of the public to police these standards. We need to have enough inspectors who need to be familiar with the building standards and the new standards of energy rating to be confident that the directive will work. One speaker asked whether the legislation was just paying lip service. We must ensure that enforcement is a key element in the Bill. When considering buildings that might not have been built to the highest energy efficiency standard, we need to recognise that the cost of doing something right is much less than the expense of trying to remedy it after it has broken down.

The Bill in transposing the energy performance directive has pollution in mind and we should all welcome it. I look forward to better building standards.

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