Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I am not. Without such pragmatic and temporary exemptions, the house building programme would not be running at the current all time record level now approaching 90,000 new dwellings per annum.

I wish to clarify the position as regards the timetable for the introduction of building energy rating. The EU energy performance of buildings directive set 1 January 2006 as the deadline for legal transposition of the directive. However, the EU directive recognises the administrative and technical complexities of introducing building energy rating and allows an additional period of up to three years, ending on 1 January 2009, for the introduction of such rating.