Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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138. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the impact of the 2014 building regulations on the design and construction of agricultural buildings; the qualifications needed by an individual to design/draw such an agricultural building; if a qualification (details supplied) is a qualifying qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20397/14]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 are now fully operational; if there are any elements which have not yet commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20575/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 147 together.

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 came into full effect on 1 March 2014. Registration as a Quantity Surveyor would not entitle a person to sign the statutory certificates of compliance prescribed under the regulations as the duties of a Quantity Surveyor do not typically extend to building design. In order to sign the statutory certificates a person must be included on either of the statutory registers of architects or building surveyors, as maintained by the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI) and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), respectively, in line with the Building Control Act 2007, or the register of chartered engineers as maintained by Engineers Ireland (EI) under the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act 1969. Architects, Building Surveyors and Engineers are the construction professions typically involved in the design of buildings.

Building regulations, subject to certain conditions, do not normally apply to farm buildings comprising a single storey building which is used exclusively for the storage of materials or products, for the accommodation of plant or machinery or in connection with the housing, care or management of livestock. The design and construction of such buildings is not affected by the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014.