Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
295. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether a full analysis of the carbon impact of all actions contained in the policy framework Delivering Homes Building Communities will be carried out and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73743/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matter outlined in the Question falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. Having consulted officials in that Department, I am advised that under the Infrastructure Guidelines economic appraisal is required for all public capital projects with an estimated cost greater than €20m.
Economic appraisals under the Infrastructure Guidelines are required to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions a project or proposal may give rise to or reduce. These GHG emissions should then be monetised using the Shadow Price of Carbon set out in the Infrastructure Guidelines. As such, should any of the actions in the Delivering Homes, Building Communities Action Plan be subject to the economic appraisal requirements under the Infrastructure Guidelines, the value of the estimated GHG emissions or GHG emissions reductions associated with the project should be included as part of the economic appraisal.
While the shadow price of carbon relates to the emissions of the constructed asset (post completion) this does not account for decarbonisation during design and construction. I am further advised that the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment have issued some interim guidance in this regard ahead of the 1 January, 2027 introduction of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (recast) 2024 (EPBD). Housing projects will be included later in the phased introduction of the EPBD. “Procurement guidance for public bodies: Reducing embodied carbon in construction” published on the DETE website here: enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/guidance-public-bodies-reducing-embodied-carbon-in-construction.html
From 1 September 2025, public bodies that are commencing design for new buildings for projects in receipt of Exchequer funding in excess of €10 million in the case of non-residential buildings, or in excess of €60 million in the case of residential buildings, should produce or procure a Whole Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions assessment in accordance technical guidance to be provided by SEAI in 2025, consistent with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Subject to a review of the first step, from 1 June 2026, projects in receipt of Exchequer funding in excess of €5 million in the case of non-residential buildings, or in excess of €30 million in the case of residential buildings, should produce such an assessment. Projects below this scale should also consider implementing this assessment.
There are no current mandatory reporting requirements because of the statement above. Currently each Department is responsible for acting on this requirement when procuring projects. The transposition and implementation of the EPBD are the responsibility of the Department of Housing. The EPBD will introduce the mandatory reporting of Global Warming Potential (GWP) in buildings which aligns with EU Level(s) Framework for Sustainable Buildings. (green-forum.ec.europa.eu/green-business/levels_en).
