Welcome to In the Works, Matheson’s quarterly construction bulletin with news, views and legislative updates.
The first half of 2026 has brought continued momentum and change across Ireland’s construction and infrastructure sectors. In this edition of In the Works, we look at recent case law, a simplified Building Energy Rating (“BER”) and force majeure in a global context and implementation of legislation.
In the news: Building Energy Rating — a simplified scale
Following the announcement by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on 23 April 2026, a simplified BER scale came into effect on 24 May 2026. The changes are driven by Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) which seeks to standardise energy performance requirements across the EU.
