Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

2 o’clock

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:“deeply regrets the tragic loss of life in Grenfell Tower, London as a result of a devastating fire on June 14th;

recognises:

— that the horrendous human cost of the fire highlights the importance of building regulation and fire safety standards;

— that a strong regulatory structure is vital to ensuring a high quality of home build across the country and the design and construction flaws in Priory Hall, Longboat Quay and Millfield Manor are a sharp reminder of that;

— that the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, introduced in March 2014, will not provide enough protection and require reform and strengthening;

— the new building control model is convoluted, difficult to manage, costly and not fit for purpose;

— that self-regulation is an ineffective model for upholding the required building standards; and

— the Law Reform Commission’s recommendations in relation to building defects; and

calls on the Government to:

— introduce new primary legislation to include a transmissible warranty of quality and assignment of causes of action in negligence from builders and those involved in the building process, in favour of the first and subsequent purchasers of houses;

— amend the Statute of Limitations 1957 to implement the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission in relation to building defects;

— develop a national strategy for remedial works on defective units;

— increase resources and powers to local authorities for fire inspection in the rental sector;

— establish an ‘approved certifiers list’ and a best-in-class building regulatory process within the existing local authority framework; and

— remove the current financial link between certifiers and developers in future reforms of building regulations and ensure 100 per cent inspection of refurbished vacant properties.”

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