Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 663: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that the existing building regulations are being adequately enforced; and the number of staff employed by his Department or local authority to enforce the building regulations. [8935/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Building Control Act 1990, the enforcement of the building regulations is the responsibility of local building control authorities. Some 41 building control officers are employed for this purpose by building control authorities. The agreed national target is that each building control authority should inspect at least 12% to 15% of buildings covered by valid commencement notices served on the authority. I understand that all authorities were conducting inspections in the six months to 30 June 2004, the latest period for which complete data is available. At that date, 30 of the 37 authorities, or 81%, had reached the national target. I hope all authorities will achieve the target by end of the year.