Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I am aware of the conclusions of the working party to which the Minister of State refers. Given the balance of obligations and rights, the application of resources and the need to operate society efficiently, self-regulation has many attractions. It will only work, however, if it is accompanied by sanctions, as is the case with self-regulation in the taxation system. Prior to the reform of our taxation system, the heavy level of scrutiny employed was found to be bureaucratic and frequently inaccurate. While I welcome in principle the idea of self-regulation and the capacity of professional regulatory bodies to remove the title of architect or surveyor if deliberate malpractice is found, the edifice will only come together if the sum is greater than the individual parts. This will require a commitment on the part of local authorities or a building inspectorate to allocate resources to ensure a random sample of perhaps 5% of all works is inspected. The proportion does not have to be large.

If it is found that a professional has signed off on a certificate which is blatantly dishonest and has placed members of the public at risk, disciplinary action should automatically follow. Such an approach would protect the 98% of professionals who must charge for the provision of these types of services and thereby run the risk of being undercut by cowboys who continue to operate because a scrutiny system is not in place to identify them. I ask the Minister of State to agree to examine this matter on the basis of the working party recommendations and to establish some type of inspectorate. I will leave it to the Department, resources permitting, to decide on the most appropriate form. Self-regulation will not work without sanctions.

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