Christopher O'Sullivan
Cork South-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The aim of the hierarchy of the plan-making, as set out in the Act of 2024, is to improve scope for the various tiers of the planning system to more closely relate to one another, therefore providing greater clarity and consistency for all involved, from individual citizens and residents' groups to landowners and developers and ultimately…”
“My understanding is that a ten-year modernisation programme has already been undertaken by the Courts Service and significant progress has been made in improving the availability and use of court data.”
“Under the Act of 2024, the national planning framework continues to spearhead and explicate the planning agenda and sits at the pinnacle of the plan-led system and structure, whereby all tiers of planning from regional to local align with strategic objectives set out in the national planning framework.”
“The Senator has suggested that such plans would identify strategic development priorities, including settlement hierarchy, infrastructure corridors, climate adaptation measures and areas for regeneration; set out indicative phasing for major infrastructure and public investment; include spatial mapping of long-term development objectives;…”
“The Bill also facilitates the completion of the work of the Valuation Tribunal and the facility for the local authority to issue the levy demand and, where necessary, for An Coimisiún Pleanála to deal with any appeals to the demand that may arise in those existing cases currently with the tribunal.”
“As the system of plan-making in the State has just been revised and is being implemented for the first time, the introduction of another layer of plan-making could undermine the new hierarchy that was carefully arranged and agreed following extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including the Office of the Attorney General, an…”
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“It was rent arrears, which is not covered unless there is a repossession. It did not involve antisocial behaviour, so it is not covered. Senator Ruane also said the letter was issued on Dublin City Council headed paper. According to this answer, the courts are responsible, so there is an anomaly. Something has happened that needs to be looked into further. I could not agree more with the Senator. She presented a situation where a vulnerable young child got a letter in the post. I can imagine the fear and anxiety that would cause. Fair play to her for raising it because it is clearly something we need to look at.”
“Breaching these orders, once in place, is an offence, with the person subject to the order liable to penalties, including fines or imprisonment, or in the case of a person under the age of 18, detention in a children detention school. The Housing Acts allow the local authority or the tenant to apply to the District Court, but they do not prescribe that a child occupying a local authority tenancy is required to attend the subsequent proceedings. It may be that any formal invitation to attend such proceedings comes directly from the courts in order to allow that individual to respond to any allegations made which may potentially result in the issuing of such an excluding order or, indeed, a possession order. That response says to me that the situation Senator Ruane described was wrong. It should not have happened.”
“Section 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 provides for the issuing of an excluding order through the District Court to exclude a household member, including juveniles, engaged in antisocial behaviour from the relevant dwelling, the vicinity of the dwelling and, if appropriate, the housing estate in question for a period of up to three years. An excluding order may also, if the court thinks fit, prohibit the respondent from causing or attempting to cause any intimidation, coercion, harassment, obstruction of, threat to, or interference with the tenant or other occupant of any house concerned.”
“The Housing Acts 1995 to 2024 contain a number of provisions whereby a local authority tenant and their household may interact with the District Court. A number of provisions relate to instances whereby the local authority is seeking a possession order to return the property to the local authority in cases of rent arrears, antisocial behaviour or other serious breaches of the tenancy agreement. There was no possession order in the situation the Senator highlighted. There are also provisions whereby the local authority or, indeed, the tenant themselves are seeking to exclude a person who they believe to be engaging in antisocial behaviour, and in these situations the person in question may be under the age of 18. That does not cover the ten-year-old who received the letter in the case Senator Ruane spoke about.”
“All right. We will go through this, and we can absolutely discuss further how we are going to prevent this from happening in the future. The general administration of the court system is underpinned by legislation within the responsibilities of my colleague, the Minister for justice. I thank the Senator for clarifying that she is seeking a review of the housing legislation to ensure children do not have to attend court proceedings in respect of local authority tenancies where they are occupiers. Obviously, there is a place for housing legislation within this to try to address it. Local authorities are responsible under the Housing Acts for the management and maintenance of their housing stock and the management of their estates, including taking appropriate measures to counter antisocial behaviour.”
“I thank Senator Ruane for raising this issue. In my view, there are no circumstances in which a ten-year-old child or anyone underage should be getting a court order or formal order to appear in court, especially when it comes to the issue of rent arrears. I have a formal response which outlines the situations where, potentially, someone who is under the age of 18 may receive a formal letter. Certainly, I do not think there is any justification for the situations the Senator described. Clearly, there needs to be flexibility or, at the very least, a review of the process of where this happens so that we can protect the type of person about whom the Senator is talking. Obviously, it is my understanding that it would be the clerk of the court who would issue formal invitations to appear-----”
“The Senator's question specifically in relation to monitoring is very fair, and we will look into that. Then, perhaps we can try to enable local authorities and AHBs to be able to address it and not step back, which is often the case.”
“That is absolutely fair enough. That is a fair ask to be able to provide data. It is about protecting people's and individuals' privacy, etc., but we could provide data so that we can monitor the level, identify the areas where it is more prominent and see what action is being taken to stop it. I know that in some instances there are high levels of intimidation. I imagine it is not easy for council housing staff to get in there and address those issues when there is that level of intimidation that sometimes exists. Maybe they need to be supported and enabled more in addressing it. We all know the situations where the actions of one ruin it for the majority of really peaceful law-abiding citizens, but that is something at which we need to look.”
“Thankfully, I still think it is the minority but, obviously, if it is persistent, especially in certain areas like the Senator highlighted in south County Dublin, then it is something we need to address. I have set out the legislation and policy. In fairness, the Senator also asked for the reporting mechanism. I think that is very fair to ask for how we monitor the implementation of these rules. That is absolutely something we will look into.”
“The Residential Tenancies Act also provides that a third party affected by antisocial behaviour may take a case to the RTB against an AHB which has failed to enforce its tenant’s obligation not to engage in antisocial behaviour. The forthcoming residential tenancies (amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2025 will broaden the type of evidence of antisocial behaviour that the RTB can consider in its dispute resolution service. My answer sets out the tools that are available and the legal status in relation to AHBs and social housing. It is important to say as well that it is not just in social housing situations where we see this type of antisocial behaviour where tenants or residents of a house are causing issues within estates. It does happen.”
“In the AHB sector, the Residential Tenancies Acts regulate the relationship between AHB landlords and their social tenants and set out the tenancy rights and obligations for both parties. AHBs are responsible for enforcing the obligations that apply to their tenants under the Residential Tenancies Acts. Where a tenant is engaged in antisocial behaviour or allowing others to engage in such behaviour, the Residential Tenancies Acts allow an AHB to terminate the tenancy, subject to a notice period of seven days in the case of serious antisocial behaviour or 28 days in the case of less serious but persistent behaviour.”
“The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 provides for the issuing of court orders to exclude a household member engaged in antisocial behaviour from the dwelling and, if appropriate, the estate in question. The Senator has already mentioned this power. The 1997 Act also empowers a housing authority to refuse to allocate or sell a dwelling to a person engaged in antisocial behaviour. The powers of local authorities in this area were significantly enhanced by Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, which provides for the issuing of a tenancy warning requiring that tenants cease any antisocial activity. Part 2 of the 2014 Act also gives local authorities the power to recover possession of their dwellings from households in serious breach of their tenancy agreements, including engaging in antisocial behaviour.”
“My colleague, the Minister for justice, has overall responsibility for policy and legislation relating to serious incidents of antisocial behaviour through the criminal code, which is enforced by An Garda Síochána. My Department also has a key role to play in this by providing a framework of legislation giving social housing landlords a range of tools to tackle antisocial behaviour being perpetrated by their tenants. Local authorities are responsible under the housing Acts for the management and maintenance of their housing stock and the management of their estates, including taking appropriate measures to counter antisocial behaviour.”
“I thank the Senator very much for raising this issue. It has been my experience that the vast majority of tenants, such as social housing tenants or tenants of AHBs, are exemplary. They are model tenants. That certainly seems to be the experience. In a small number of situations, there are tenants who may partake in antisocial behaviour. We have to admit that we have scenarios where they make their neighbours' lives hell. It is very difficult. It is apparent that some local authorities are better than others at dealing with that and using the powers that are available. I will outline the legislation and the tools that are available to local authorities to deal with these situations.”
“It is a gorgeous piece of coastline. I know it well. It is stunning but very exposed to the west and it gets those big swells coming in. As I said, there are more frequent storms. To the credit of Donegal County Council, it has applied for 45 projects, worth approximately €2.4 million, under this scheme. It has been quite active in that space. It will have to be because the area is so exposed. The money is there from the point of view of the OPW. There is an onus on the council to crack on and get this delivered. There are always challenges for a local authority in delivering projects. However, I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, and ask him to reach out to the chief executive in regard to this situation and find out what the delay is. I can imagine the fear and anxiety on the part of the residents.”
“Perhaps there is and I would have no problem going to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, and asking him to engage with Donegal County Council to ask about where matters stand and the reason for the hold-up. The response mentioned engagement with landowners. I would assume all landowners in that area would very much welcome this development. There is an onus on Donegal County Council to ramp up the speed at which it delivers this, since the funding is there.”
“The Government recognises the risks associated with climate change and that increases in sea levels and storm damage will result in increased frequency of coastal erosion. In response to these challenges, the recommendations outlined in the report of the interdepartmental group on national coastal change management strategy are being implemented. The allocation has been made from the OPW. From the response I have just read out, it seems it is now down to the local authority to proceed with putting in the rock armour to protect those gabion baskets that are already there. That is quite clear in the response. I am not sure whether there is a further role for the OPW in this.”
“The most recent funding approval of €45,000 for Inver, which the Senator mentioned, was announced in April this year by my colleague, Deputy Moran, who is the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. This funding was for Donegal County Council to construct a row of rock armour along a line of existing gabion baskets to provide protection from further damage. I understand the council is continuing to engage with landowners to be in a position to commence these works. While the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, has recently announced revisions to this minor works scheme, these revisions do not change the approvals of funding for Donegal County Council for previously approved works at Inver. I understand he will be setting out the details of the revisions to this scheme over the coming weeks.”
“To date nationally, the OPW has approved over €70 million for more than 900 unique local flood relief and coastal projects that are providing benefits to some 8,000 properties. Since 2009, the OPW has approved some €2.4 million in funding for Donegal County Council for some 45 projects. As part of this, €112,500 has been approved for coastal erosion works in Inver, through four separate applications by Donegal County Council. Under the minor works scheme, it is the responsibility of the local authority to advance the works once they have been approved by the OPW. This includes all environmental assessments, planning consents, health and safety requirements and landowner agreements.”
“In 2009, the Office of Public Works introduced the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide 90% funding to local authorities to undertake studies, coastal erosion or minor flood mitigation works in their administrative areas. The minor works scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short timeframe and the costs do not exceed €750,000. From the way Senator Boyle described this, I doubt they would exceed that amount, but we will leave that to the experts. Applications under the scheme are assessed by the OPW, having regard to the specific economic, technical, social and environmental criteria set for this scheme. To be approved for funding under this scheme, the benefits from the works must exceed their associated costs.”
“I am not 100% sure my answer will give the Senator the comfort he is looking for, but I am glad he raised the matter, because coastal erosion along the whole west coast, including the south-west and north-west coasts, is a big issue. It is coming down the road like a train and we will have to invest more and more in it to protect communities. I hope that the fact gabion baskets are already in place and there is some form of coastal protection will make it more straightforward from foreshore and statutory requirement points of view. I will go through the response from the Department, which might clarify who is responsible for what. Coastal erosion and localised flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each local authority to investigate and address. Local authorities can undertake these works within their own resources.”
“We should be in a position to welcome and rejoice about the fact that Rosslare is busier. We want that, but we cannot have it impacting residents and the county. A preferred route was selected in 2021. That is a while ago now. I get the Senator's frustration. This should be more advanced at this point. Let us get the design done and go through the statutory process as quickly as possible. From the Department's response, I get a sense that there is now a bit of urgency about it, so I hope we will see progress soon and that I will see the Senator in Lady's Island.”
“Subject to the necessary approvals, a planning application will follow. I also mention the Rosslare Europort access road, which is expected to commence construction next year. This project will provide greatly improved access to Rosslare Europort for freight and passenger traffic and will complement the Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour project. What I have outlined is the need for the project. I think we are all in agreement on that. There is a design process to go through. Like most public representatives, I dislike the term "preliminary business case", but considering the response from the Department of Transport and the Minister, there is a sense of priority and urgency, so I have no fear of it. We will do anything we can to speed it up. I thank the Senator for raising it.”
“Furthermore, the safety performance of some sections of the existing N11 are substandard, with collision rates twice the national average. The existing corridor also fails to provide dedicated and high-quality facilities for vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists. The scheme is intended to address this. Technical advisers have been appointed to progress the project through the planning and design phases, including statutory processes. A preferred route option was selected in late 2021 and work on the design and environmental phases began shortly thereafter. It is anticipated that these phases will be completed late next year, following which a preliminary business case will be submitted for Government approval, as required under the infrastructure guidelines.”
“In that regard, it is important to point out that Rosslare Europort has seen greatly increased traffic since the departure of the UK from the European Union. As such, the project will also strengthen Ireland’s international links, having positive economic benefits for the country as a whole. The proposed project will also provide journey time reliability for road users, which will improve the quality of life of local residents. A major benefit provided by the proposed project is the improvement in road safety, and provision of infrastructure that can accommodate a larger volume of road users, including passenger traffic, freight traffic and road based public transport. The Senator already knows all this. It is essentially what he said in his opening statement.”
“These include the Dunkettle interchange in my county, the N5 from Westport to Turlough, the N22 from Ballyvourney to Macroom and bypasses of Moycullen and Listowel. Other new roads projects, such as the Adare bypass, are under construction or in the design phase. The Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour project falls into the latter category. In other words, it is in design phase. In the context of the national roads programme capital budget, which is provided by the Department of Transport to TII, significant funding has been provided for the development of the N11-N25 Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour project, which was allocated €4 million in 2025. This important project will increase the safety and capacity of the N11-N25 corridor, in addition to improving connectivity between Wexford, the surrounding areas and international markets.”
“Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned - in this case, Wexford County Council. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP. Approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds were provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2025. This is used for the construction of major new roads as well as the protection and renewal of the existing network. Under the NDP, a number of major new roads projects have already been delivered since 2021.”
“I know the road very well because it leads to Lady's Island and also down to Tacumshin. Any birders or birdwatchers out there are very familiar with the road. I have travelled it quite a lot and I totally understand where the Deputy is coming from in terms of the need for this development. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Transport. The Senator will know a lot of the information in the reply already but I will certainly elaborate on anything I can. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme.”
“The message from the Senator is that, with the likes of Saoirse Domestic Violence Services providing this training, there is a bit of an onus on us to reach out, train ourselves up and become more qualified so that we can deal with these situations with more confidence. I thank Senator Costello again for raising this matter.”
“That is a really good point. Perhaps we should not wait until there is a national programme of training. We should all take it upon ourselves to get training and advice on how to deal with these situations. They are such sensitive matters. At what point should we contact An Garda Síochána? Are we fully aware of all the refuges and shelters for victims of domestic abuse in our areas? All of that comes into account. There is a bit of pressure on us as well to make sure we do the right thing because we have someone who is generally in quite a vulnerable position. All I can say is that I will talk to the Minister about the idea of a national training programme for all public representatives, not just those in local authorities.”
“There is definitely a discussion to be had there from the AILG and LAMA as to whether more conferences should be held on training for public representatives. That only targets councillors, however. As I said at the outset, the offices of Senators and TDs right across Ireland tend to be go-to support tools for survivors and they need to be trained better. Senator Costello has hit the nail on the head and I will undertake to take this back to the Minister for housing to ensure this is rolled out.”
“It is expected that the forthcoming local democracy task force may look at further areas to support councillors in the discharge of their functions. There is an opportunity there to introduce training for public members in relation to dealing with victims and survivors of domestic violence. My Department recently published Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. One of the key pillars is that of supporting people. A key part of this pillar is homelessness prevention but another key part, as the Senator has rightly said, relates to supporting survivors of domestic abuse. What the reply is pointing out is that within local authorities there are training seminars that can be attended by councillors.”
“The AILG is a recognised training body for the provision of appropriate and relevant training to elected members. Since 2014, the AILG has typically provided six themed training and development modules each year that are delivered on a regional basis in conjunction with Departments, State agencies and local authorities. The review of strategic policy committees, SPCs, made recommendations in relation to training for their members. On foot of these recommendations, the AILG and Institute of Public Administration delivered the first strategic policy committee induction session on 17 April 2025, and training for SPC chairs was delivered on 2 and 3 September. These were well received and it is intended to provide further training sessions for SPC members.”
“This is more relevant to councillors. Approval for attendance by an individual member at any course is a matter for each local authority to decide within its budget, in the context of its annual training and development programme. A contribution towards relevant education and training programmes at QQI level 6 and higher is only one of a number of supports available to elected members to assist them in carrying out their role. Local authorities may provide up to €700 per annum per councillor for attendance at conferences and seminars. Councillors may also attend appropriate events organised by recognised bodies, and training by the Institute of Public Administration, as well as the spring and autumn seminars held by the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and by the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA.”
“Luckily, I have a terrific team in my office who have far more knowledge about how to deal with situations involving women, in particular, in really desperate situations. I commend Senator Costello for raising this here because it is something that needs to happen. Quite often, constituency offices are the go-to places for people who find themselves in desperate situations. They are often in incredibly emotional and anxious states and are looking for support. If we are their go-to office then we need that proper training. Well done to Senator Costello on pointing that out. I have a response to read as well. I probably will not get through all of it. It sets out what kind of training is there at the moment, which many will know already. Each local authority is required to adopt a training and development programme for elected members.”
“I thank Senator Costello. On the back of her raising this, I will bring it to the senior Minister, Deputy Browne. What she is asking for is incredibly important and necessary and there should be no reason we cannot do it. The issue she raises is very thought-provoking. It makes us all, as local representatives, think about whether, when we have been in that position of trying to support survivors or victims of domestic abuse, we have always given the right guidance. The Senator is right - I know I do not have the training, expertise or knowledge in terms of pointing people who contact my constituency office where to go and as to what supports they can get. I have learnt slowly over the years but I never had that training, and I should have had it.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, has already visited the school and has clearly taken an interest in it. He will be free to comment on the matter when the appeal is decided upon.”
“The Senator hit the nail on the head with her closing comments. When the NCSE is looking at these situations and at allocations, it cannot just be a case of using a black-and-white formula. Individual circumstances have to be taken into account. As the Senator stated, things such as whether a sibling is attending the school or whether there are no other schools in the area that suit the needs of the student involved have to be taken into account. I completely appreciate that. As I said, the Minister unfortunately cannot comment prior to the outcome of the appeal. I am more free in terms of the comments I can make. In that context, let us await the outcome of the appeal. I am sure all of the points the Senator made were made in the appeal. Of course, the NCSE has to take all of that into account.”
“We have seen it in many other schools, including in my constituency, where there is a challenge in terms of maybe toileting needs and so on and where the onus is put on the teacher to provide support and also teach and manage the classroom. I understand the challenges. Let us await the outcome of the appeal and then we will look at how to proceed.”
“Once this data and information has been verified, the NCSE will be in a position to engage with schools and match which schools are best placed to open new classes to meet known demand in local areas. The NCSE is working towards sanctioning the majority of new special classes for the 2026-27 school year by 31 December 2025. I accept that much of the reply relates to the national context, which, I suppose, is helpful in understanding the challenges that exist. In relation to Cavan No. 1 National School specifically, there is an appeal ongoing that precludes the Minister from commenting. That said, I totally understand the challenges that the Senator outlined very well.”
“The Minister cannot pre-empt or get involved in the outcome of the review, so he cannot comment further on the process. The NCSE will advise the school of the outcome when the appeal is completed. While the school awaits the outcome of the appeal, the NCSE's local special educational needs organiser, SENO, is available to discuss the current deployment of SNA supports and to offer advice as to how to use these supports to the best advantage of the students. The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support. Regarding the sanctioning of special education classes, the NCSE is currently collating the information received via the parent notify portal. Parents were asked to notify the NCSE by 1 October if seeking a special educational placement in the 2026-27 school year.”
“Budget 2026 provides for a further 1,717 SNA posts, which will bring the total number of SNAs to close to 25,000 by the end of 2026. The NCSE manages the allocation of SNAs to schools. It is the responsibility of the NCSE to ensure that these resources are allocated to students with the greatest level of need. The NCSE’s reviews can see an increased or reduced level of support or no change in allocation. This has always been part of its work and is necessary to ensure that resources are allocated in line with the level of need. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, visited Cavan No. 1 National School earlier this year, as the Senator knows, and met with staff. This issue was raised at that point. The NCSE has advised that the school has submitted an appeal of the SNA review outcome, which is currently being processed.”
“The Senator will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools by helping to ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. By the end of the year there will be over 23,000 SNAs working in our education system, committed to supporting and nurturing children with special educational needs. The number of SNAs available for allocation has continued to increase annually, resulting in a significant increase in the number of SNAs employed by schools.”
“I thank Senator Tully for very clearly and eloquently outlining the challenges that this school is having in terms of the lack of provision of SNAs and the challenge this is creating from the point of view of staff and SNAs not being able to cater for children who have additional needs. I have no doubt about what she is saying and the challenges those involved face. It is important to say that there is no discrimination on the basis of the fact that this is a Church of Ireland school. There are some incredible schools out there of all different denominations and none, which provide children with an incredible education. They should have access to the same services, which I know they do. I will outline the national context before I come back to the issue with this particular school.”
“It also does not take account of the possible negative consequences on the private rental market itself. As outlined, the Government cannot support the Bill at this time.”
“A recast EU energy performance of buildings directive came into force in May 2024, which is to be transposed into national law by 29 May 2026. This recast directive is broader in scope then previous iterations, with a key aim being the renovation of the entire building stock and the energy performance of existing buildings. The new measures aim to increase the rate of renovation, particularly for the worst-performing buildings in each member state. Significant work is being undertaken across Government and by the SEAI to determine the impacts of the requirements of the directive, including those related to BER ratings and the progressive renovation of the residential building stock. While it is recognised that the Bill, as initiated, is well intentioned, it is pre-emptive of these developments at EU level.”
“We must seek to improve the energy efficiency of rental stock without driving private landlords from the market. The ESRI report will inform next steps in this area and the Government has committed in its new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, to examining policy measures to incentivise increased energy efficiency in the private rental market. In the meantime, a range of Government supports are already in place, including for private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. The Government has decided that the funding available for such measures in 2026 will increase to record levels. I would also mention efforts at EU level in relation to the energy performance of buildings.”
“Given the investment that would be required to bring properties up to minimum energy efficiency standards, it has the potential to drive significant numbers of private landlords from the rental market. In a market that is already constrained, this would reduce the supply of accommodation available for tenants, including HAP tenants, leading to increases in presentations to homeless services and increased demands for homeless emergency accommodation. This would have a financial cost for the Exchequer but also come at a significant social cost. It is vital that an appropriate balance is struck between improving the energy efficiency of homes in the private rental market and maintaining and increasing supply. The simple fact of the matter is that we need private residential rental accommodation and we need private landlords.”
“That is something that I am not just saying. That is something that the ESRI report has alluded to in terms of the cost. The research is there. The research has identified very significant costs associated with the works while also identifying potential concerns about the financial capacity of property owners to undertake this investment. From this, there is a concern that the imposition of minimum BER ratings on private landlords may lead to a reappraisal of the attractiveness of investment and a divestment by some owners. The unintended consequences of the Bill, as initiated, are therefore serious, rendering a large number of currently rented dwellings unsuitable for letting in the private rental market.”
“Some are better than others but, for the whole, local authority housing has been made far more energy efficient. The new builds are something incredible. We can all agree that cold damp houses are unacceptable, that the number of houses with low BER ratings, at 250,000, is unacceptable, and that it is something we need to address rapidly. What we do not agree on is the way to do it. The hard and fast timelines being suggested by this Bill would have unintended consequences and the Deputies cannot dismiss unintended consequences as something that the Government says when a Bill does not suit it. There would be, and it would be the renters who would feel the pinch. If you significantly reduce accommodation stock and private rental stock, it is the renters who will pay the price by significantly increased rents.”