Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to the continued use of imperial size fittings in the plumbing trade and the unnecessary confusion and extra costs that imperial fittings cause especially in small scale and private work; if he will eliminate the use of imperial sized fittings; the steps he will take to bring the plumbing trade fully into the metric era; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33490/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Directive 80/181/EEC on Units of Measurement, transposed by European Communities (Units of Measurement) Regulations 1992 (S.I. No. 255 of 1992) as amended by Directive 2009/3/EC transposed by European Communities (Units of Measurement) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 89 of 2010) outline when metric measurements must be used and the extent to which imperial measures can continue to be used.

S.I. No. 255 of 1992 required that measurement should be indicated in metric units, but allowed the use of supplementary indications until the end of 2009. However, it became apparent that the 2009 cut-off date for the use of supplementary indications could cause problems in USA-EU trade. In order to avoid these obstacles the EU stepped back from an outright ban on the use of imperial measures and continues to allow their use on the proviso that in a retail context it is compulsory to display the equivalent metric measurement, even where the good is produced and packaged to imperial measures.

All dimensions in the Technical Guidance Documents that accompany the current Building Regulations are in metric. Those Building Regulations and associated Technical Guidance Documents are the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The primary purpose of the Building Regulations is to safeguard the health and safety of people in and around buildings.

The Building Regulations apply to all new buildings, extensions and certain works to existing buildings and provision or replacement of certain services, fittings and equipment. However, the national building stock includes many existing buildings which predate the current Building Regulations and which may include services, fittings and equipment produced to imperial measures. Repair and renewal of such older services, fittings and equipment therefore gives rise to an ongoing market for imperial or dual measurement supplies.