Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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260. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the technical specifications for the proposed new modular build hub clusters will not meet BCAR standards; the areas the technical specifications for these proposed modular build hubs will be allowed to deviate from building regulations and standards; and the rationale for these permissible deviations. [48644/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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One of the measures my Department is implementing in response to the challenges in relation to homelessness is the introduction of additional family hubs to provide an appropriate form of emergency accommodation for families experiencing homelessness until they can be supported to exit to an independent tenancy.  As part of the delivery programme, a number of sites have been identified for the development of family hubs consisting of clusters of temporary modular homes, with on-site supports to be provided by the McVerry Trust.  

The Housing Agency has published a tender for the supply and delivery of temporary modular homes in order to establish a framework that can be utilised by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies. It is intended that the framework for these temporary modular homes will be established in December 2018.

Building regulations apply to all new buildings. The exemption for temporary dwellings in the Building Regulations (Class 10 in the Third Schedule of Building Regulations) is not seen to extend to the type of temporary homes envisaged under this programme and, as such, a dispensation or relaxation of the Building Regulations may be required. However, the specification set out in the request for tender represents the minimum standards in the temporary/portable home sector and is similar to British Standards and other industry standard requirements for the manufacture of such units. This is to ensure that good quality and safe accommodation will be provided, appropriate to the temporary nature of the units.