Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am shocked the Minister is hiding behind a legal process. The conciliation process is not good enough. A year is a long time for people to live in a nightmare. Regardless of whether the Minister accepts it, the State bears a huge responsibility in the matter. To say regulations are not good enough does not cut a lot of ice. The regulations in Ireland are decent and it is the lack of enforcement which is the problem. If the current arrangements had been adhered to in a proper manner, Priory Hall would not have happened. Local authorities are empowered to carry out inspections and, where necessary, undertake enforcement action to ensure compliance. Local authorities did not have the resources to do so, and this is a Government issue. The Government must take responsibility but even if it grabbed the bull by the horns and dealt with it, many people are responsible. There is the builder, the engineer, the consultant engineer, the architect, the mechanical and electrical contractors and specialist subcontractors. All of these people had insurance. Perhaps one cannot get any money from the builder at this stage, but other people have a responsibility and the issue needs to be co-ordinated by the Government. The issue must be tackled.

The fact that there was no enforcement of the regulations by the local authority is the crucial issue. There is no point in looking at a building when the curtains are hanging. One does not know what has happened because it is all covered up at that stage and it is too late. We do not need to change the regulations - we need to change the way the rules are enforced. If a consultant engineer and architect are to take responsibility for work carried out in their name, it must be supervised by somebody working for them. If this costs money then they should charge it to the builder. The current arrangement is nonsense and the Government must act on it and change it. The regulations are fine, but the lack of enforcement is a killer and is what is causing the problem. The Government bears a huge responsibility for what happened at Priory Hall and the Minister has not taken responsibility for it. He is too keen to kick it down the road and state there is a legal process. A year later it is a nightmare for the people involved and it is not good enough. The Government would interfere in other issues where it suits them. It needs to interfere in this.

See this speech in context