Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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522. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding ARAE registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1608/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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New Building Control (Amendment) Regulations will from 1 March 2014 strengthen the arrangements in place for the control of building activity, by requiring greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certificates of design and construction, lodgement of compliance documentation, mandatory inspection during construction and validation and registration of statutory certificates.

The statutory certificates of compliance must be signed by a registered professional i.e. a person who is included on the statutory registers of architects or building surveyors maintained in accordance with parts 3 and 5 respectively of the Building Control Act 2007 or on the register of chartered engineers established under the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act 1969. Architects, Building Surveyors and Chartered Engineers are the construction professions typically involved in the design of construction works in Ireland and reference to these professions in regulation is entirely appropriate.

Depending on their personal circumstances it may be open to persons who have been working in the design and surveying of buildings for ten or more years prior to the commencement of the registers to seek inclusion on either of the statutory registers referred to which would enable a person to sign statutory certificates of compliance as provided for under the new regulations when they come into effect on and from 1 March 2014. 

There is no question of persons who are not included on the statutory registers being permitted to sign certificates of compliance.

I understand that the RIAI has made a number of modifications to the technical assessment process following the publication of the independent report on registration arrangements prepared by Mr Garrett Fennell last year.  The cost of the course provided by ARAE Ltd, a campus company based in UCD, is considerably less tha n the €20,000 indicated.  It is open to the individual concerned to deal directly with the RIAI and/or ARAE Ltd ., as appropriate, in relation to the circumstance of the particular case.