David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 989: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the more vigorous building regulations he has introduced which will mean that new hotels will be built to more stringent environmental and insulation standards as outlined in response to Parliamentary Question No. 525 of 11 March 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11996/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department has improved, and continues to improve, the national Building Regulations in respect of buildings, including hotels. The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 2005 introduced energy performance standards so as to limit the amount of energy required for the operation of a building and the quantity of CO2 emissions associated with such use insofar as is reasonably practicable.

The Regulations require that these targets be met by:

(a) limiting the heat loss and, where appropriate, maximising the heat gains through the fabric of the building;

(b) providing energy efficient space and water heating services, including adequate control of these services;

(c) ensuring that the building is appropriately designed to limit the need for cooling and, where air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation is installed, that installed systems are energy efficient, appropriately sized and adequately controlled;

(d) limiting the heat loss from pipes, ducts and vessels used for the transport or storage of heated water or air;

(e) limiting the heat gains by chilled water and refrigerant vessels, and by pipes and ducts that serve air conditioning systems; and

(f) providing energy efficient artificial lighting systems (other than emergency lighting, display lighting or specialist process lighting) and adequate control of these systems.

The European Communities (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2006 also introduced a number of provisions in relation to new buildings.

The Regulations require the designers of large buildings, including hotels, with a total useful floor area of more than 1000 m2, to consider, during the design stage, the economic, environmental and technical feasibility of installing alternative/renewable energy systems, including combined heat and power (CHP), district or block heating, if available, and heat pumps. This requirement has applied to large buildings for which planning permission is applied on or after 1 January 2007.

The Regulations also require, subject to certain transitional arrangements, the Building Energy Rating of new non-domestic buildings commencing on or after 1 July 2008 and existing buildings, when let or sold, on or after 1 January 2009. Further Building Regulations will introduce a methodology for this purpose with effect from 1 July next. I will also be very shortly introducing an amendment to Part G (Hygiene) of the Building Regulations to provide for greater efficiency in the use of water by the mandatory installation of dual flush toilets both in new buildings and in existing buildings where WCs are being replaced.

Finally, I propose to prioritise work through the statutory Building Regulations Advisory Body to establish realisable targets for reductions in primary energy and CO2 emissions for non-domestic buildings, with a view to setting new standards in 2010.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 990: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures he plans to take to encourage an increased level of engagement by hotels here in the European ecolithical programme which awards qualifying hotels with an internationally recognised environmental quality mark; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11997/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The European Eco-label for tourist accommodation services was created to reward accommodation services that meet high standards of environmental performance. While I would urge hotels to aspire to such standards, this is an operational matter for the tourist industry and I have no direct responsibility in such matters.