Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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239. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to amend the minimum size that apartments can be built in order to become wheelchair accessible (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2557/17]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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240. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to make all new and or proposed local authority housing and apartment schemes and or units fully wheelchair accessible (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2560/17]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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248. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the claims outlined in a newspaper (details supplied) that Dublin City Council cannot design apartments to be wheelchair accessible and also at the Department's minimum building size standards; if so, the minimum size building standard for a wheelchair accessible apartment; his plans for this wheelchair accessible standard as the minimum building size standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2806/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 239, 240 and 248 together.

All new buildings, including social housing units, must comply with the legally enforceable minimum performance standards set out in the Building Regulations 1997-2014. In this context, the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2010, and the accompanying Technical Guidance Document M - Access and Use (2010), which came into effect on 1 January 2012, set out the minimum statutory requirements applicable to new buildings, and to existing buildings where new works, a material alteration or a material change of use is proposed.

The requirements of Part M aim to ensure that regardless of age, size or disability:

(a) new buildings other than dwellings (including multi-unit developments) are accessible and usable;

(b) extensions to existing buildings other than dwellings are, where practicable, accessible and useable;

(c) material alterations to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings, where practicable;

(d) certain changes of use to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings, where practicable; and

(e) new dwellings are visitable.

Part M of the Building Regulations aims to foster an inclusive approach to the design and construction of the built environment. While the Part M requirements may be regarded as a statutory minimum level of provision, the accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate.

Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, published by my Department in December 2015, set nationally consistent minimum standards from a planning policy perspective, and do not preclude compliance with the requirements of Part M.

Where apartments are designed as living accommodation for people with specific needs e.g. a wheelchair user, specialist design and floor areas greater than minimum standards will be required.

While the latest iteration of Part M of the Building Regulations initially coincided with the general downturn in economic and construction activity, its positive effects on access and use in the built environment will now be seen more widely as economic recovery takes hold and construction activity continues to gather momentum and moves onto a sustainable footing. While I have no proposals to amend Part M at this point in time, the Building Regulations, including Part M requirements, are subject to ongoing review in the interests of safety and the well-being of persons in the built environment and to ensure that due regard is taken of changes in construction techniques, technological progress and innovation.