Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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384. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the way it was determined which groups or associations would be recognised under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 and considered best suited to act as assigned certifier. [16511/14]

Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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385. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the evidence his Department considered when they made a decision not to include chartered architectural technologists to the list of registers identified under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014; and the evidence considered when deeming that the said professional body were not suitable as competent under the said Act as an assigned certifier. [16512/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together.

The Building Control Act 2007, among other things, provides for the registration of persons entitled to use the professional titles of Architect and Building Surveyor. The title of Chartered Engineer is also protected by separate legislation. Registration of title is necessary in order to protect consumers from unqualified persons passing themselves off as construction professionals. This is now less likely to occur as statutory certificates required for building control purposes must now be given by registered professionals, following the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, which came into effect on 1 March 2014.

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 the regulations is entirely appropriate.

It is important to note that inclusion on the statutory registers is not confined or restricted to members of the professional bodies who have been recognised in law as the registration body. Although the profession of Architectural Technologist is an unregulated profession in Ireland any such person, who possesses the requisite competence in the design of construction works, may seek inclusion on the statutory registers. It is understood that a number of Chartered Architectural Technologists have succeeded in becoming registered as Architects and/or Building Surveyors. Inclusion on either of these registers enables a person to sign statutory certificates of compliance as provided for under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014.

Neither I nor my Department has any role in the assessment, evaluation or validation of competence of construction professionals. This is a matter for the professional bodies who have been designated as the relevant competent authorities for the purposes of EU and n ational law, namely Engineers Ireland (EI) in respect of the Engineering profession, the Royal Institut e of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) in respect of the a rchitectural profession and the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI) in respect of the surveying professions.

Architectural Technologists who consider they possess the requisite competence in the design of construction works should be advised to contact EI, RIAI and SCSI in order to identify the route to registration most suited to their own individual circumstances.