Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I thank the witnesses for their attendance. In respect of the BRAB's role as an advisory body, I note there is a representative of HomeBond on the board. The joint committee had no success in getting representatives of HomeBond to appear before it. It refused to discuss the impact of its decisions on those affected by pyrite. I wonder at the wisdom of having people on the board who may be in a position to influence its decisions in respect of the advice it gives.

Would we not be better moving to an independent board which could have regulatory teeth?

With regard to the 1990 Act, the burden of responsibility for compliance rests with the developers, the designers and the owners but the building control officers in the local authorities are not compelled to check it out. Even if they were, would they have the competences to identify whether there is an actual problem with a building? Would Mr. O’Connor see that as the crux of the problem? In Edenderry there is a pyrite problem in an estate. If there had been a building control officer with the relevant competences checking at every stage, would it have prevented the problem?

Does Mr. O’Connor believe the level of the fines that can be imposed is sufficient? It seems to me that a fine of €5,000 to €50,000 is very small for a matter as serious as this. A home is the largest investment one will make in one’s life. To think some people are watching their homes collapsing around them due to deficient building materials is appalling. There is a consumer protection issue in this and I see the BRAB as fulfilling such a role. Does the board come up with changes to the building regulations? Which other bodies make suggestions in this regard?