Mr. Noel Larkin:

On inspection by an authorised person, I understand what is meant in terms of the powers they have, more so than someone who is working under BCAR or SI 9. The numbers of inspections dictated by BCAR are at critical milestone points in construction before work is closed up. I would be concerned that if there was an inspection at the end by a local authority, that key points could be missed, covered or would not be available for inspection. If the local authority is to inspect, it would have to be under the regime of BCAR with a similar number of inspections at milestone points. That will be hard for a local authority to resource.

I am concerned that it might come to a final inspection and be equated, as Ms Hegarty has said, to a Private Residential Tenancies Board inspection where they check if there is a fire blanket, ventilation and other simple things like that. A building control (amendment) regulations, BCAR, inspection will involve itself with typical structural things behind the scenes so I would still be concerned unless the inspection regime is tied down in this Bill.