Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 385: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of BER inspections undertaken within the social housing sector; if he will confirm that the inspections were undertaken by qualified inspectors; if he will confirm that the relevant certificate was produced to persons expressing an interest in availing of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28116/09]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 393: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason Sustainable Energy Ireland requires a fee of €1,000 plus VAT to register as a building energy rating assessor; the further reason that these fees apply to unemployed persons who wish to train and work in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28264/09]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 394: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if Sustainable Energy Ireland will reduce or eliminate the fees required for unemployed persons to register or sit exams to qualify as a building energy rating assessor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28265/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 385, 393 and 394 together.

The register of Building Energy Rating (BER) certificates maintained by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) does not separately identify those certificates which relate to social housing units. The production of BER certificates and advisory reports to persons expressing an interest in availing of social housing is a matter for each individual local authority who are aware of their legal obligations in this regard.

Only persons who are fully trained and qualified and who have registered with SEI as BER assessors for dwellings may undertake BER assessments. In order to qualify as a BER Assessor, a person must have a qualification equivalent to National Certificate Level 6 in construction studies and undergo a short duration BER training course with an SEI-approved training provider. A person who is certified as having completed the necessary training may then apply to undergo SEI's National BER Assessors examination following which, provided they are successful at examination, they may seek to register with SEI as a BER assessor for dwellings.

I am advised by SEI that some of the training providers listed on SEI's website may have entered into funding arrangements with FÁS, the State training and employment agency. The fee for undertaking SEI's national examination is €100 and the initial registration fee is €1,000 for the first year and €100 per annum thereafter. In the case of companies, the registration fee is reduced to €500 in respect of the registration of a second and subsequent BER Assessor. All registration fees are used solely for the purposes of the development, maintenance and operation of the BER scheme, which is expected to be self-financing, and for this reason the fees are considered necessary and appropriate.