Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is important to have a strategy on the use of such materials. It is a very sustainable material. I thank all the Deputies and I commend the Oireachtas joint committee. It is a fantastic committee which has done invaluable work, including this report. I thank Deputy Duffy for proposing the report this evening. Some very interesting points have been raised around operational versus embodied carbon. I will come back to the point on technical specifications.

The issue of wood was also raised. Coillte recently published a set of recommendations that promote the use of timber in construction and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is co-ordinating the implementation of these recommendations across Departments. While criticism has been levelled at us being behind the curve, a lot is going on in this space. I remember bringing forward motions on GGBS low-carbon cement to my local authority in 2007. Officials were scratching their heads as to what it was. We are moving in the right direction now.

We are working very hard to meet housing demand with regard to new building and the private rental sector. We have ambitious targets concerning the quantity, type and location of homes being delivered. We are also ambitious for climate action, including energy efficiency in housing. Through our building regulations, we are ensuring that the quality of homes we are building for future generations continues to achieve the high standards we are setting to decarbonise our built environment.

Regarding the global warming potential for buildings, we are working to implement this through the progression of the EU regulations and the climate action plan.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is currently participating in the European Council working party meetings on a revised construction products regulation. In parallel, the Department, in partnership with the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, is also working closely with the European Commission and other member states to plan for and organise future work to adapt the harmonised technical specifications. Further measures to develop necessary tools and regulatory framework in the area will be proposed in the forthcoming climate action plan.

I already outlined the issue in relation to the use of timber in construction and around the modern methods of construction. Public procurement rules already provide sufficient flexibility to incorporate sustainable construction materials and we urge that that be done.

In relation to demolition waste, I outlined the actions being undertaken under the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022. In addition, I make the point that a significant majority of local authorities through their development plan policies already require the submission of a construction and demolition waste management plan to accompany planning applications for developments of a certain scale and type. I note the points being made by Deputies in terms of reuse of materials. In that regard, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has published guidance entitled, Best Practice Guidelines for the Preparation of Resource and Waste Management Plans for Construction and Demolition Projects.

Through out planning policies, we are encouraging the reuse of stock. This is set out in Housing for All, specifically addressing vacancy in housing including the Croí Cónaithe fund, Town Centre First, and the refurbishment grants in regional towns and villages. Housing for All also aims to make more efficient use of our existing housing stock, for example, in relation to further guidance relating to protected structures and encouraging the use of such properties for re-purposing and refurbishing.

I thank all the Deputies for their contributions on this important report. I look forward to seeing further progression in relation to embodied carbon.

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