Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

Some types of developments where work has not commenced are not environmentally friendly. For example, in some cases in Dublin developments have been built with hollow blocks with no insulation. Will new conditions be imposed on a developer responsible for such a development who applies for an extension of planning permission for five years to ensure he or she conforms to the new green technology? Is it the case that an application for an extension would consist of a formal letter seeking an extension of time owing to the fact that he or she ran into financial difficulties?

This could be a golden opportunity to ensure developments which use poor quality insulation are brought up to the required standard. A motion was tabled in the House a number of years ago to make developers in the Dublin region conform with the insulation standards that existed in the rest of the country. I believe some developers in Dublin are still building with hollow blocks and I suggest that conditions to bring them into line with green technology would be applied to any applications by them for a further extension of time. I refer to solar panels and proper cavity insulation.