Ms Geraldine Larkin:

I would like to thank the committee for the invitation to assist in its consideration of the issues relating to modern methods of construction, MMC. I am the CEO of the National Standards Authority of Ireland. I am accompanied by my colleagues, Mr. Seán Balfe, head of sustainability and built environment, Mr. Enda McDonnell, director of standards and metrology and Ms Yvonne Wylde, head of standards technical in NSAI. We are here today to assist the committee in its work and to address any questions its members may have. Because the committee will be addressed by colleagues from the Office of Public Works, OPW, Coillte and SOLAS, I will confine my comments to the NSAI’s role in supporting Government policy, as well as the needs and benefits of providing technical support for modern methods of construction.

It is worth noting at this point that the term modern "methods of construction" can have a very broad definition that can encompass all aspects of construction, from the use of innovative building systems, 3-D printing and off-site manufacture to the application of building information modelling tools, BIM, and the use of drones to monitor construction.

NSAI, as the Irish national standards body, was established by the National Standards Authority of Ireland Act of 1996. Our role in the areas of standardisation and certification contributes to the technical infrastructure of the State. As we move towards a more sustainable future, it is essential that we embrace innovative construction techniques that are not only efficient but that also deliver the advantages of sustainability, consistent quality, flexibility and freedom of design. Technical support is essential to realise the full potential of modern methods of construction from the stages of innovation and research, through training, standardisation and, ultimately, compliance.

A collaborative partnership approach between Government, industry and academia to promote innovation and improve the adoption of modern construction methods is key to optimising the benefits of modern methods of construction. NSAI, through its participation in Housing for All, Ireland 2040 and other Government initiatives, is well positioned to contribute to MMC initiatives through standardisation and certification supports. This is what NSAI is good at, and it is what we have been doing for the construction sector for many years. It is what we plan to continue to do for modern methods of construction.

Housing for All has identified the adoption of modern methods of construction as central to the delivery of its targets. Action 13.11 of the action plan focuses on the continued enhancement of the NSAI’s Agrément system for modern methods of construction in residential construction, and it is expected that more actions will evolve as other initiatives are agreed upon. Agrément certification is a process for certifying innovative construction products and systems where no standard exists. As such, it is a voluntary certification scheme operated by NSAI that provides manufacturers with a method of showing that the product is a proper material and that it thereby complies with Irish building regulations.

To meet an increasing demand for Agrément certification, NSAI is expanding its offering to cover certification at the construction stage and sign-off of modern methods of construction products and systems, in addition to product certification itself. The necessary skills and knowledge already within NSAI and the plan for new services provide a sound base to enable industry to adopt and integrate new technologies in a safe and compliant way that will deliver on the Housing for All initiative. Working with industry and regulators, supports for small and medium-sized businesses, SMEs, will be developed for a suite of complementary assessment services.

To date, the NSAI Agrément has certified 17 companies producing MMC systems supplying the residential construction sector in Ireland, with seven more under assessment currently.

In the area of standards development, the NSAI has ongoing construction-related standardisation work which directly and indirectly supports, or has the potential to support, MMC. At international level, work commenced in 2021, on standards for prefabricated buildings, ISO/TC 59/SC 19 prefabricated building. The NSAI has established a "mirror" committee to monitor and contribute to the work and also to monitor related European work. Other areas where the Irish construction sector is already working with the NSAI to develop standards to support the adoption of MMC include updating structural design Eurocodes and product codes to allow for evolving technologies including cross-laminated timber, CLT; amending the standard for retrofitting of existing buildings and the code for the design of timber dwellings; developing standards related to building information modelling, BIM, and the circular economy, and a new Irish standard, which is yet to be named, for universal design of dwellings.

In summary, the NSAI's technical support activities across standardisation and certification for the construction sector are essential for the value it brings to citizens and businesses in everyday life. As an organisation, we are used to change and as MMC takes us in a new direction I assure the committee of our continued commitment, through our work, to support the construction sector.