County Mayor says no fireplaces in homes will be 'absolute disaster'

The Mayor of Co Kildare is concerned that making fire-places a thing of the past will be 'an absolute disaster.'

It is anticipated that fireplaces will become a thing of the past, or else a luxury item, under little-known building regulations introduced in 2014.

Under these regulations all newly constructed homes must meet a far higher level of eco-efficiency. Installing an open fireplace in your home will make this more difficult and expensive.

Homeowners who refuse to be parted from their open fireplace will be forced to compensate for the fire’s lack of eco credentials by installing more expensive features such as triple glazing and extra insulation, beyond the levels already required by the updated building rules.

If not, their homes won’t be signed off on by engineers and architects.

Mayor Weld is rallying against these regulations which came to prominence via an RTÉ Radio interview with architect Dermot Bannon.