Friends of the Earth set up draughty sitting room outside the Dáil to highlight new Bill
Kenneth Fox
Friends of the Earth have set up a draughty sitting room outside Leinster House to highlight a new Bill to Building Energy Rating (BER) standards for private rented accommodation.
The evocative photostunt took place on Kildare Street on the footpath outside Dáil Éireann on Thursday to highlight the plight of renters, who are paying extortionate rent while being forced to live in sub-standard, under-insulated homes, due to the lack of any basic energy efficiency standards for rented accommodation.
It took place hours before an opposition Bill to introduce Building Energy Rating (BER) standards for private rented accommodation will go through a second-stage debate in Dáil Éireann.
Friends of the Earth is urging the Government to vote in favour of the Bill, arguing that there is an urgent need for regulations that require landlords to ensure that accommodation meets minimum energy efficiency standards before it is put up for rent.
Friends of the Earth is also calling for strong protections to shield tenants from higher housing costs or housing insecurity that may follow as a result of renovations that are triggered by minimum BER regulations.
Commenting on the Bill, Clare O’Connor of Friends of the Earth said: “Everyone deserves a warm, healthy home. Ensuring that rented accommodation meets basic energy efficiency and building standards is the minimum that renters should be able to expect in 2025.
"The regulations being proposed in the Building Energy Rating (BER) standards Bill being debated on Thursday are not new - the Housing for All strategy committed to introducing minimum BER standards in the private rental sector starting in 2025. With that deadline now approaching, it’s time to deliver on that commitment.
"Without these standards, renters are being locked out of the climate and energy transition and forced to live in cold, damp accommodation, with no agency over their heating systems and insulation levels. Insulating homes to at least some minimum standard is as important as fixing a leaking roof— and no landlord should be exempt from that responsibility."
