Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding his plans to introduce a national building inspectorate service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33658/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government Efficiency Review Group (July 2010) recommended that a single building inspectorate service could be established on a regional basis to streamline the approach to the inspection of property.

In July 2011, I announced a number of measures to be advanced by my Department and local authorities with a view to improving compliance with, and oversight of, the requirements of the Building Regulations.

In broad terms the measures, which include the streamlining of inspection arrangements on a regional basis, will involve:-

(a) the introduction of mandatory certificates of compliance by builders and designers of buildings confirming that the statutory requirements of the Building Regulations have been met;

(b) more efficient pooling of building control staff and resources across the local authority sector to ensure more effective and meaningful oversight of building activity;

(c) standardised approaches and common protocols to ensure nationwide consistency in the administration of building control functions;

(d) better support and further development of the building control function nationwide.

The mandatory certification and improved inspection arrangements outlined above are key reforms which, I believe, will have the capacity to improve the quality of buildings and will lead to further strengthening of the regulatory regime as early as possible in 2012.

The matter will be kept under review in the context of the ongoing actions being taken at Department and at Local Authority levels to further the development of the Building Control function.