SEAI will update the M&R system in August 2024 to incorporate a building register. Public bodies will then be required to report details of their buildings for 2023. The reporting window during which the system will be open for public bodies to report this data will be from 26 August 2024 to 15 November 2024. Data that was previously reported via SEAI's pilot building register will be migrated to the new system.
This help page will be further developed with detailed guidance before then.
The following are key principles related to the reporting of buildings on the building register.
You should complete the building register for all buildings that:
- Your organisation owns and occupies;
- Your organisation leases from other organisations (private and public);
- Are provided to your organisation by the OPW.
You should not complete the building register for any buildings that your organisation leases to another public body.
The principles outlined above apply to entire buildings and to parts of shared buildings.
For example, if your organisation occupies three floors in a six-storey building that it shares with another public body and with a private sector organisation, then your organisation should report these three floors as a single entry in its building register. If the other public body occupies one floor in the same building, it should report that floor as a separate single entry in its building register.
If your public body has more than one building co-located on a site, you should report the buildings as separate entries in your building register.
If a large building comprises multiple blocks, you should report the blocks as separate entries in your building register. A building comprises multiple blocks where separate sub-buildings are connected together. In some cases, different blocks may have been built as physically distinct blocks at the same time. In other cases, different blocks may have been added over time and may be of very different vintages.
For example, a large office ‘building’ could comprise an original building built in the 1890s, a connected office block built in the 1960s and a modern annex built in the 2010s. In this example you should report the three blocks as separate entries in its building register.
The following is a list of data fields that can be reported for each entry in the building register in 2024. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.
- Building name*, which must be unique i.e. you cannot use the same name for multiple buildings.
- Building ID: if your organisation has an ID or reference number for the building, you can enter it here.
- Description*: a description of the building that makes sense to you.
- Address, including county and Eircode*
- Building type* and sub-type*
- The building sub-type options depend on your choice of building type.
- If building reported by an education & training board (ETB): primary use of ETB building*
- Ownership status*
- If building is leased: lease renewal/expiry date*.
- If building is leased from another public body: public body from which it is leased*.
- Occupancy status*
- Floor area 2023 (m2)*. The building area measurement specified in legislation is the Total Useful Floor Area (TUFA). This is the same as the Gross Internal Area (GIA) commonly used in commercial property surveying, and for which measurement conventions are based on the SCS/IAVI Measuring Practice Guidance Notes.
- BER status* (has valid BER (details known); has valid BER (details not known); does not have valid BER)
- If BER details known: BER rating*; BER number*; BER expiry*.
- DEC status 2023* (had valid DEC (details known); had valid DEC (details not known); no valid DEC (DEC was required); no valid DEC (DEC was not required); no valid DEC (don't know whether DEC was required))
- If DEC details known: DEC number*
- Protected structure (yes/no). A protected structure is a structure that is listed on a planning authority’s Record of Protected Structures (RPS) because of its architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical characteristics.
- Building maintained by OPW (yes/no)
- EU ETS participant (yes/no). Note that very few buildings in the public sector are currently in the EU ETS.
- Priority building (yes/no)
- OPW building code (B code): this is a code assigned by the OPW to OPW-provided and/or OPW-maintained buildings. The format is B1234.
- Proposed exit date: if your organisation proposes to exit this building at a future time, enter an indicative exit date.
- Building NACE code. The NACE code for the primary economic activity undertaken in the building.
- Latitude
- Longitude
- Tags
- Additional information: additional information that you wish to enter for the building. Note that while this information will be available to SEAI, SEAI will not explicitly review it as part of your submission.
The following is a list of additional functionality that will be incorporated in the building register from 2025.
- Link MPRN to building
- Link GPRN to building
- Self-report energy consumption for other M&R energy types
The building register will incorporate functionality to upload and download buildings.