Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
719. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost to provide for adult changing facilities in every Irish town with a population greater than 5,000. [30489/26]
View answerAs Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage I have responsibility for the Building Regulations that set out the minimum legal requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings. The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the second schedule to the building regulations. These requirements are set out in 12 parts (classified as Parts A to M). The related Technical Guidance Documents (Parts A - M respectively) provide technical guidance on how to comply with the regulations in practical terms.
In 2022, following a public consultation, the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022 were introduced to increase the provision of changing places toilets in certain new buildings, and to improve the accessibility and usability of existing building stock by making provision for a changing places toilet, where there is a significant extension or material change of use. These Regulations apply to buildings or works commenced after the 1st of January 2024.
The types of buildings to which the Regulations apply are listed in Table 1 of Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use 2022 (TGD M) and include locations such as shopping centres, museums, galleries, cinemas, hotels, roadside service stations and heritage sites.
The number of new Changing Places Toilets provided in any town will be determined by construction activity commenced in that town and the number of buildings or works that meet the use and size criteria listed in Table 1 of TGD M.
The Regulatory Impact Analysis that accompanied the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022 set out estimated costs of providing changing places toilets. These figures were based on average Irish construction costs in 2022 and are available at assets.gov.ie/static/documents/regulatory-impact-analysis-part-m-changing-places-toilets.pdf.
