Govt denies favouring building industry sectors
The Government tonight defended itself against claims that it was giving special treatment to sections of the building industry.
An Oireachtas Environment Committee heard allegations earlier that the Environment Department had delayed enforcing regulations on energy efficiency and insulation in order to protect the concrete construction sector.
But Environment Minister Dick Roche tonight defended Ireland’s record on building standards and denied bias against the timber frame industry.
Mr Roche said: “I am not prepared to favour special interests in the building industry.”
The minister questioned why “misleading and untruthful allegations” were being made in the media at this time.
“One thing is clear. I am not prepared to favour any particular sector in my dealings with the construction industry and I think my record in this regard speaks for itself.”
The minister said that Ireland’s insulation standards for new dwellings were now amongst the highest in the EU.
Data produced by the European Insulation Manufacturers’ Association also shows that the country has the second lowest energy loss through walls, behind Sweden, and the lowest overall loss of energy through roofs.
The Oireachtas Committee earlier heard claims that the Environment Department was engaging in “anti-competitive practices” to protect the concrete sector within the building industry.
Europe’s biggest timber frame firm, Century Homes said up to 250,000 new homes may not be energy-efficient because the Government has delayed enforcing regulations to protect the building industry.
These houses will lose market value when tough new EU standards, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is introduced soon, Century Homes chief Gerry McCaughey said.
Construct Ireland magazine editor Jeff Colley claimed that “the Government has been so preoccupied with keeping its friends in the construction industry happy that it has tried to fight the directive all the way.”
The directive will oblige house sellers to provide a certificate to the purchaser detailing how much it will cost to heat their house per annum.
People in energy-inefficient homes could have to pay an extra $600 per annum in extra heating bills compared to an energy-efficient house, Mr McCaughey said.
Committee members Eamon Gilmore of Labour and Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe today both expressed concern at the claims of flouting the energy regulations.
Mr Gilmore said: “It’s clear that people who are buying homes today are living in a fool’s paradise.”
Mr Cuffe, a former architect, described the revelations as “an indictment of Government policy“.
Mr McCaughey said that timber frame homes still only represented 27% of all new constructions in Ireland compared with 65% in Scotland and 90% in North America.
