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A PUBLIC CONSULTATION has been launched to determine ways to ensure rented properties are made warmer and more energy efficient.
Environment Minister Richard Bruton today announced a consultation around options to encourage energy efficiency upgrades in rented properties.
The government’s Climate Action Plan commits to upgrading 500,000 homes to a BER (building energy rating) of B2 or cost optimal energy.
It is estimated that around 21% of private rented accommodation have a rating of F or G, according to the government.
Oftentimes, rented properties, especially older rented properties, can be less energy efficient than owner occupied properties because of the “split incentive problem”.
A split incentive happens because landlords, who would have to meet the cost of the improvements, do not reap the benefits of a warmer home and cheaper energy bills.
Tenants, on the other hand, do not own the property and therefore have little incentive to invest. So, it can happen that neither party is motivated to upgrade the building.
As a result, tenants’ heating bills can often be higher than they could be and more energy is used, resulting in higher emissions.
“We must address this issue,” Bruton said.
“Today, we are outlining a number of options to address the problem. Improved properties will be welcome for tenants and landlords alike because they will result in improved living conditions, better health outcomes and enhanced asset value,” he said.
“The environment impact will be significant, with lower energy bills and lower emissions.”
Green leases
One of the options outlined in the consultation open from today is to encourage a wider use of green leases.
A green lease is basically a normal commercial lease with additional green clauses included.
These facilitate and or encourage cooperation between the landlord and
tenant to achieve beneficial environmental outcomes.
Green lease clauses are already applied to some extent in Ireland.
Green clauses might, for example, provide:
The public consultation will also consider the introduction of an enhanced grant for landlords who upgrade their rented property and their own home at the same time, provided both properties are brought up to specified BER standards.
It will consider linking the participation by a landlord in the Housing Assistance Payment scheme for a defined period of time to a free energy efficiency upgrade.
The introduction of regulations requiring all commercial buildings to obtain a minimum BER by a specified date in the future will also be considered.
Furthermore, the consultation will consider introducing a cost balancing arrangement, whereby a landlord unable or unwilling to upgrade to minimum BER standard compensates the tenant for higher heating bills.
All options will be put out to consultation from today. It will remain open until 17 January 2020.
Who?
@Keith: He is a guy with a big TDs pension.
@Keith: I was thinking the same thing. With our voting system, you only seem to know your local TD candidates and the party leaders/government stranglers.
Since Brexit, I can name way more British MPs. Shameful and shows the West Brit I truly am.
@milton friedman: I’m in limerick and heard of this man, maybe read a newspaper or have a interest in your country, not really hard.
@Keith: exactly. I live in Fingal. I never heard of him.
@Mike Keane: he has been a TD for only 8 years, so he will receive a very small pension.
@John O’Neill: that’s your own fault then. You obviously don’t vote or you would have looked into all candidates
@Chin Feeyin: I’ve worked in the private sector for 40 years & I’d swap pensions with him in a heartbeat!
@Daniel Roche: I’m fresh out of medals unfortunately mate
Although i now know why I haven’t heard of him, my brain blocks out useless things like Irish Labour
@Dom Layzell: Fair enough. The maximum pension a former TD can get is €35K, which is not bad but is not a fortune, either. Former ministers and Taoiseigh get another pension on top of the TD pension.
Remember Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party? A good man. He was a TD for several years (about 15, i think), and he gets €25K.
Full list of 2019 TD pensions here:
https://www.newstalk.com/news/new-meps-dail-pensions-894052
@Chin Feeyin: sorry, 35K should be 39K.
When a politician you never heard of retires and when his successor, whom you never heard of either runs for election for a party that has no credibility and that is politics.
@Honeybee: But, they may go into coalition with Leo, what could be wrong with that?
There’s a general election on the horizon and Leo heads to a small village in Limerick canvassing votes. He’s busy shaking hands and kissing babies when a young man steps forward, ‘Can I count on your vote’ says Leo, ‘Well ‘ says yer man, ‘There are two issues I want to raise with you’, ‘Fire away’ says Leo. ‘Well, firstly, there are no doctors, my poor mother was below in UHL for days on a trolly ‘, ‘I’ll stop you there ‘says Leo,he picks up his phone and dials a number, there’s a lot of nodding and praise, then he turns to the young man and says ‘the day after the election, six doctors will be on duty in UHL so can I count on your vote, now what is the second issue’, the young man looks bewildered ‘ Well , the second issue is, we have no phone reception in the village and I was wondering if ……..
@Honeybee: LOL love it!
@Honeybee: some people will read that and think it’s a true story.
@Chin Feeyin: Just like all the blueshirts who believe anything and everything that comes out of Leo,s gob.
@Chin Feeyin: I very much doubt it chin, it’s tongue in cheek, the kind of stuff we hear all the time when there are elections for instance when Minister Flanagan announces a commemoration for the RIC because the advisory committee of the Decades of Centenaries recommended it, only for Diarmaid Ferriter of said committee to announce it was never on the cards.Bit of leg pulling….
@Honeybee: brilliant!!
Good idea, it would have been a waste of your time & money!!
” I can’t be arsed…I’m 66, wtf am I going to bother my hole doing any more work for…pension on the way yahooo”…I’d do the same.
I won’t be voting Labour anyway so don’t worry about it
@Niall Donnelly: so be it, and I wish you luck & sufficient wishful thinking to select between the alternatives.
FG,FF, blew the economy & have caused generational economic damage & emigration this millenium.
SF, having given up their 30 years of warfare, abandoned their constituents during the Brexit saga by remaining as lathair, as proverbial hurlers on the ditch.
The Greens are still in cloud cuckoo space worrying about restoring wolves in the hills.
The independents & other splinter groups couldnt play drafts without a dispute.
A fair examination of Labour’s role in this state since 1920 might suggest to rational people that they have had a positive, moderating role on behalf of the working & dependent population.
Never heard of him, can I presume he served long enough for his generous pension
@Marg FitzGerald: well according to the article he served 8 years, so your presumption as to eligibility for pension can easily be confirmed or denied by a simple bit of research. A simple bit of research would also make you aware that TD pensions for those so recently elected has been reduced and in this case the pension is a fast accrual over 20 years, as opposed to a typical workers which is 40. So for full pension a TD has to serve 20 years. In this case the TD is entitled to €19,200 per annum before tax
@David Memery: what about any Seanad service?
Hes creamed enough cash …
No loss
Why this when there’s a big story about one of our own Dubs has been jailed in New York for assault in New York up the Dubs
@Paul Dooley: 8)
@Paul Dooley: I read about that days ago. I didn’t vote for him either.
dont worry yourself – you wont be missed !
No loss
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