Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered amending the Building Control Act 2007 by including a grandfather clause to deal with issues affecting long standing practitioners in the field of architecture who do not hold the necessary official certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5144/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Section 22 of the Building Control Act 2007 currently provides a route towards registration for longstanding practitioners who had been providing architectural services in Ireland commensurate with those understood as being provided by Architects for the purposes of the Act 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, who may not have any formal academic training, qualifications or certification, 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. In addition, section 14(f) provides a permanent route to registration for practically trained persons who have seven years appropriate practical experience and who have passed the prescribed register examination.

The issue of amending the Building Control Act 2007 along the lines suggested does not therefore arise and I would encourage all practically trained persons to pursue the routes to registration which are currently open to them with a view to joining the small but growing numbers of practically trained architects already on the register.