Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and for providing me with the opportunity to update the House on the matter. I reassure the Deputy and the House that the Government fully acknowledges the stress caused to homeowners due to defects that have arisen in their homes. I will deal with the last question first. In regard to the number of houses in an individual estate in his constituency, if he would like us in the Department to follow up on his behalf with HomeBond, we will do that. That might be something practical we can do. It is important that people get coverage under schemes that are established to ensure they can deal with defects.

Over the past decade, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has committed to implementing a range of building control reforms focused on ensuring strong and effective regulation in the building control system and of the construction industry and on improving compliance with building regulations. Such measures have included implementation of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014; creation of the national building control management project and the establishment of the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office of which I have no doubt the Deputy is aware; and the enactment in July of last year of the Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022. I welcome the opportunity to provide more detail on each of these important initiatives.

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations empower competence and professionalism in construction projects and establish a chain of responsibility that begins with the owner. The associated code of practice for inspecting and certifying buildings and works sets out the roles and responsibilities of owners, designers, builders, assigned certifiers, etc., during building works, in addition to providing guidance on use of proper materials and the need to check supporting documentation under the construction products regulation. The national building control management project and the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office provide oversight, support and direction for the development, standardisation and implementation of building control as an effective shared service in the 31 building control authorities. As the Deputy will be aware, that is located within Dublin City Council.

More recently, the Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Miscellaneous Provisions Act develops and promotes a culture of competence, good practice and compliance with the building regulations in the construction sector. It introduces a statutory register for providers of building works. In January, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, appointed the CIF to operate this statutory register and is currently in the process of appointing an independent board. While the enforcement of building control and market surveillance has been significantly strengthened over the past ten years locally and nationally, the Government recognises that further strengthening is required. In that context, Members may be aware that the programme for Government and Housing for All commit to establishing a building standards regulator. The purpose of the regulator will be to strengthen the oversight role of the State with the aim of further reducing the risk of building failures and enhancing public confidence in construction-related activity. The objective is to ensure that this regulator has sufficient breadth of scope, effective powers of inspection and enforcement and an appropriate suite of sanctions. The Department has commenced dialogue with the County and City Management Association, CCMA, with a view to determining the scope, functions, role and structure of the regulator and it intends to bring proposals to the Government later this year.

While the Department is taking appropriate actions to ensure strong and effective regulation in the building control system and of the construction industry, prospective buyers should continue to engage competent professionals and seek legal advice and undertake the necessary due diligence when considering the purchase of a property.

See this speech in context