Nicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons who have applied for technical assessment under the Building Control Act 2007 since its introduction; the number of applications in total that have been rejected from sitting the technical assessment after paying the initial fee; the number of applicants that have passed the technical assessment exam; the number of applicants who have failed the technical assessment exam; the date on which the 2010 annual report which is stipulated in section 73 of the Building Control Act 2007 will be published and be made available to the public taking into account that it is now November 2011. [32572/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007 provides for the registration of persons permitted to use the title of Architect while Parts 4 and 5 of the Act similarly provide for the registration of persons permitted to use the titles of Quantity Surveyor and Building Surveyor respectively. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has been designated as the registration body for the purposes of Part 3 of the Act while the Society of Chartered Surveyors, now known as the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) has been designated as the registration body for Parts 4 and 5.

Section 22 of the Act makes specific provision for a category of practically trained persons who had already been providing architectural services in Ireland commensurate with those understood as being provided by Architects for the purpose of the Building Control Act 2007 for a period of ten years at the time the Act became law. This provision is transitional in nature and enables this category of persons to become registered once they have been assessed as eligible for registration by the Technical Assessment Board in accordance with the practical experience assessment procedure – a process which assesses work submitted by the applicant and which does not involve any requirement to sit an examination.

The RIAI has advised my Department that eight applications for technical assessment have been received to date. Of these, seven applications have been fully considered by the Technical Assessment Board with five applicants being deemed eligible for registration and two applicants being deemed unsuccessful. A further application is currently being assessed.

The registers maintained by the SCSI were commenced in recent months and one application for technical assessment for inclusion on the register of building surveyors has been received to date and is currently being assessed.

My Department is currently discussing reporting arrangements with the registration bodies. Information regarding its activities under the Act was included in the RIAI's annual report for 2010.