andMr. T. J. Fitzpatrick (Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline the standards of insulation currently in force (a) in newly built council houses, (b) in newly built grant-aided private houses, (c) in the average house not in either of the above categories; and the energy savings which could be made nationally if the standards of insulation in categories (b) and (c) were brought up to those in category (a).

Minimum thermal insulation standards for local authority houses are presented in terms of U values which represent the amount of heat transmitted through I square metre in unit time. The whole building U value for local authority houses must not be greater than 1.25. The elemental U values are 1.10 for external walls, 0.40 for roofs, 0.60 for ground floors, and 1.10 for the external parts of intermediate floors. The same standards are required for all grant aided houses and for houses for which a certificate of reasonable value or a certificate of exemption is required.

No information is available on the level of thermal insulation in non-grant-aided private houses apart from those in receipt of certificates of reasonable value or exemption. Therefore no estimate can be made of the savings that could be obtained nationally were the current insulation standards applied to all non-grant aided private housing.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister saying that the same standards of insulation are required for local authority houses, grant-aided houses, and houses in respect of which certificates of reasonable value are issued?

Yes.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Of course there are no standards in respect of non grant-aided houses?

That is correct.

In view of current enormous energy costs—it is estimated that 50 per cent of all energy consumed in this country is in buildings—would the Minister not regard it as his responsibility to initiate a research programme that would provide the answers to the latter part of that question?

The Minister need not bother if he is going to re-impose motor taxation.

The Deputy can be assured that I am not going to re-impose motor taxation.

What about the Minister's successor?

I am speaking for myself. I do not know what will be re-imposed after the next general election.

Would the Minister not recognise that he inherited a lack of statistical information, as distinct from having responsibility therefor? In view of the answer he has been obliged to give today, would he not consider that there is a need for a research programme that would provide the sort of statistical information on which a lot of Government decisions will be made, including the one to re-introduce car tax?

The Deputy can forget about the car tax anyway because, apart from myself individually, the Government do not intend to re-introduce it. Let that be very clear.

It will be like the oath, an empty formula when it arrives.