Results 1-16 of 16 for "engineers ireland" segment:8923048

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

John Cummins: ...Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, we are joined remotely by Ms Geraldine Larkin, chief executive officer, Mr. Enda McDonnell, director of standards, and Dr. Ken Murphy, standards officer. From Engineers Ireland, we are joined by Mr. Damien Owens, director general, and Mr. John Garrett, chartered engineer. The relevant papers have been circulated to members. Before we begin, I will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

...to the Minister. The Housing Agency has a professional and technical team of project managers, engineers and surveyors working with homeowners and local authorities under the scheme. The team has undertaken the Engineers Ireland IS 465 training programme. The Housing Agency has established a regional office of five staff in the north west for the scheme, which is supported by technical...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Mr. Damien Owens: I am pleased to appear before the committee on behalf of Engineers Ireland. I am the director general of Engineers Ireland and a chartered engineer. I am joined by Mr. John Garrett, who is also a chartered engineer and a member of the Engineers Ireland’s IS 465 register with many years of experience in dealing with homes affected by this issue. Mr. Garrett is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Victor Boyhan: .... Kelly might share with us where we are in respect of all of that. The committee would greatly benefit from having sight of that draft, if possible. Mr. Kelly might comment on that. Finally, Engineers Ireland made a particularly interesting point relating to the ongoing review of IS 465. Mr. Owens stated: "Given the quantum of remediated properties and the total sum of grants...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Victor Boyhan: We will see it then, that is great. With regard to engineers' indemnity and the issues in terms of the €2 billion, will Engineers Ireland share its serious concerns with us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: It is hard to understand, given the seriousness of the issues involved, that it has not happened yet. The accountability aspect is very important. The opening statement from Engineers Ireland is very strong on the NSAI review of IS 465. It calls on the Government to divert all necessary resources to the NSAI to ensure that the revision is completed by the end of this year. I want to ask...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank Ms Larkin. I have another question I want to ask but before I do I would like to know whether Engineers Ireland has a view on this. Is it proceeding quickly enough?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Owens. My next question is for the Housing Agency in respect of an issue raised by Engineers Ireland. Issues have arisen with regard to recommendations for mediation where the option of an engineer employed by a homeowner differs from the option determined by the Housing Agency. It suggests that given the research and the fact the review of IS 465 is not completed, the higher...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Mr. Bob Jordan: The solution put forward is not provided for in the legislation. With regard to the issue, we are fully aware of the views of Engineers Ireland and homeowners on this. We have discussed it with individual homeowners, the homeowners' chartered engineers and chairpersons of various action groups. It is important to say that four out of every five remediation option...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Can I ask for a quick response from Engineers Ireland. What is its view on the issue I have raised?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Ms ?ine Stapleton: There have been some discussions with Engineers Ireland on the issue during that period. It is an issue on which we will reflect.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Does Ms Larkin think it is acceptable there are engineers affiliated to Engineers Ireland who work with the Housing Agency who are overruling other engineers affiliated to Engineers Ireland because they are working on a desktop study rather than internationally peer-researched evidence?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: In July of last year, Engineers Ireland presented to this committee and outlined the view of some, I would argue of most, engineers on the ground that what they were seeing did not tally with just limiting their testing to looking for mica. They felt the standard was not fit for purpose. That was almost a year ago. Is the National Standards Authority of Ireland aware of that? In fact Ms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: When he was asked on Highland Radio, the chief executive of Donegal County Council said it was his professional opinion that one would have to remove the foundations from a house. We have Engineers Ireland talking about their engineers understandably taking a conservative approach when they do not trust the standard. Engineers Ireland today are asking the Housing Agency engineers to use a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Ms ?ine Stapleton: We have no plan in place but we will reflect on it. We have been engaging with Engineers Ireland on this issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: All the representatives of the NSAI here today will know that we are in a serious situation, as identified by Engineers Ireland for a second time before this committee. There is a significant dilemma. It is deeply unfair, mostly to the homeowners but also to engineers to compete with and contradict each other based on a standard that none of them have confidence in. I leave that as stated....