Ms Sarah Neary:

The construction products regulation, CPR, sets out who is responsible for what and the vital piece of information is the declaration of performance, DOP, the manufacturer makes about his or her product. Whatever the manufacturer writes in terms of the characteristics of the product in that DOP, he or she must stand over that. If it is found that the product does not meet that performance, that is clearly a non-compliance with the construction products regulation.

In terms of pyrite, that is an interesting one because hardcore will now be CE marked. The NSAI has just concluded a public inquiry on what is known as standard recommendation 21, which provides that national guidance. In terms of the harmonised standard dealing with aggregates like hardcore, there is now a harmonised standard that sets up the test methods, the assessment process and the third parties that must be involved before hardcore can be placed on the market. The NSAI has produced guidance on the specification and the minimum standards for the characteristics of hardcore when it is placed on that market. That provides clarity for the users and for the manufacturers. The manufacturers must declare what those characteristics are and the users can check whether that is what they are getting on site. There is a greater confidence in terms of what is being delivered. The manufacturer is clearly responsible for what he or she says that product can do.