Ms Sarah Neary:

I go back to the earlier question on the instance of failures. To date, we have no reports on the instance of failures of double-check or single-check valves. I will put the statistics to one side and say that all mechanical devices or fittings are liable to fail at any time. In this situation the double-check valve has the job of preventing backflow. The real reduction in risk comes from completely disconnecting the temporary pipe. It is a safety mechanism that works by only filling the system at the beginning and replenishes for one reason or another. It is the primary defence mechanism. One does not leave the pipe permanently connected to the mains.

In terms of standards and retrospective application, I wish to state that regulations do not apply retrospectively and, therefore, it would not be a matter for a retrofit to this standard. Concerned homeowners may apply best practice in this situation. As Mr. Buckley has outlined, best practice is available in many sources. It is very explicit, gives good advice on what to do and is reasonably inexpensive and simple for people to carry out, where necessary. In terms of the future, once the SR 50 is finalised and published then the Department, comprised of the various sections which range between water services and building regulations and Irish Water, will consider the policies and legislative requirements in this area in order to implement SR 50.

I wish to make a final general point about home building. The building regulations cover a large part of the home building functional requirements. The building control legislation that came into force recently has created a very controlled system whereby the design is signed off by a competent person. The building process is also inspected on a regular basis by an assigned certifier that is competent in the area. At the end of the process the builder and the assigned certifier sign off, thus certifying that the project complies with the building regulations.