Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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598. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government The better energy rating that must be applied to current social housing; and the better energy rating that must be applied to future social housing. [18558/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Part L of the Building Regulations set downs the statutory minimum energy performance standards that must be achieved by a new dwelling, including social housing units, when designed and constructed.

Current Part L requirements which came into effect on 1 December 2011 provide that the regulated energy load for space heating, water heating, fixed lighting and ventilation for a typical newly built dwelling must equate to 59 kWh/m²/annum. In terms of energy performance certification, this will have the effect that new dwellings should be rated as B1 or better. It is envisaged that Part L requirements will be further upgraded on a date to be determined between 2016 and 2020 to provide that the regulated energy load for a typical newly built dwelling will equate to 45 kWh/m²/annum. In terms of energy performance certification, this would have the effect that all new dwellings would be rated as A3 or better.

My Department does not maintain a statistical database of the Building Energy Ratings of dwelling units owned by local authorities. The national database of building energy ratings is maintained by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. I understand that the software used to maintain the database was modified in July 2012 to allow for the identification of BER certificates relating to dwellings used for social housing purposes.

I am advised that BER certificates will have been obtained by local authorities in respect of new dwellings commissioned since 1 January 2007 and in respect of dwellings offered for letting since 1 July 2009.In addition BER certificates are obtained when energy efficiency upgrade works are undertaken on existing units. Local authority dwellings falling outside of this set of circumstances are unlikely to have a BER certificate. The BER ratings of these social housing units will vary from unit to unit having regard to the age and unique characteristics of each individual unit. BER Certificates also have a validity period of 10 years and will cease to be represented on the national database once this period has expired.

My Department continues to pursue an ongoing programme of investment in improving the energy efficiency of the existing stock of social housing owned by local authorities and has published the best practice design guidelines Quality Housing for Sustainable Communitieswhich, among other things, promote higher standards of energy efficiency in new social housing. Local authorities are undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting, with the support of my Department, on the least energy efficient social houses over a 3 year period. Funding of €50 million is being provided over the period 2013-2015 for improving the energy performance of older local authority housing stock. This programme will improve energy efficiency and comfort levels, and therefore BER ratings, in 25,000 local authority homes.