Mr. John Hennebry:

I have in front of me the Irish code of practice for inspection and certifying building works. The NDFA has said that the role of the certifier is to satisfy himself or herself regarding the works done. That is not what is stated in the code of practice. Item 3.5 sets out the certifier's role. It states:

The role of Assigned Certifier does not include responsibility for the supervision of any builder. They may or may not be a member of the design team.

It also states: "The Assigned Certifier is assigned by the Building Owner as required under the Building Control Regulations."Under the building control regulations, Part D, the assigned certifier is the subcontractor. As I said in my opening statement, this is why the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations, BCAR, are in place.

I do not see that the NDFA has looked into this in enough detail to realise the law is on our side. I have a statement from the flooring adhesive manufacturer mentioned by Deputy Pearse Doherty at the committee's previous meeting. It is a huge global manufacturer. It states it is its belief that without ancillary certification these products cannot be guaranteed, warranted or certified.