More guidance needed on retrofitting rules – Carrigy

Local authorities must be given more guidance on the rules surrounding insulating homes so that homeowners are not punished for carrying out works, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Micheál Carrigy, Fine Gael TD for Longford Westmeath, said people should be encouraged to carry out retrofitting works with clear information from their local authorities.

“A recent case in Dublin where a family are faced with a fine or prison sentence for carrying out insulation works despite receiving a grant for the work highlights the lack of information on how to correctly retrofit within planning laws.

“We want more people to retrofit their homes. It helps families cut their energy costs and helps the environment, so we should be doing everything we can to simplify the process.

“Under our planning laws, the maintenance and improvement work to homes that do not affect the external appearance are exempt from the requirement for planning permission. But when it comes to external insulation things are less clear and homeowners need to engage with their local planning authority.

“The Minister for Housing James Browne needs to have clear guidance on this for all local authorities.

“The Programme for Government commits to deliver more B2 Ber rated homes and to provide improved grants and financing models for homeowners who wish to enhance the energy efficiency of their homes. We need local authorities to be fully informed to achieve this.

“We can’t have people being put off making their homes more energy efficient because the guidelines aren’t clear.

“People shouldn’t be afraid to do this for fear of doing it wrong. We need councils to have all the tools available to help people.

“We also need to look at increasing the amount of funding per house granted to each local authority so they can retrofit their own housing stock and bring them up to a B2 standard.

“I’m calling on Minister Browne to issue local authorities with clear guidance to ensure more retrofitting is encouraged and families aren’t hit with penalties for carrying out work”, concluded Deputy Carrigy.