Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

76. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to include the architectural technologist profession in the band of professionals which are to be accepted by legislation to certify the design and compliance of buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24003/14]

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

The statutory certificates of compliance prescribed under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 must be signed by a registered professional i.e. a person who is included on 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 under the Building Control Act 2007, or 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 Chartered Engineers are the construction professions typically involved in the design of construction works in Ireland and reliance on these professions in regulation is therefore appropriate.

Architectural Technology is not currently classed as a regulated profession in Ireland which means that there is no designated competent authority which has the power to approve or restrict access to the profession in Ireland under national or EU law. It is understood that at least two professional bodies, the Chartered Institute of Technologists (CIAT) and the Royal Institution of Architects of Ireland (RIAI), include architectural technologists in their membership.

In recent weeks both the CIAT and the RIAI have independently signalled to my Department their intention to establish separate voluntary registers of architectural technologists with a view to having these registers recognised in law in due course. While not directly involved in the development of the proposals to date, my Department is now to give immediate detailed consideration to the matter of the prospective registers and will engage with both professional bodies and other relevant stakeholders in relation to the matter shortly.

It should of course be noted that inclusion on the existing statutory registers is not confined to members of the registration bodies concerned. A variety of routes to registration exist and Ireland is unique in this regard in providing open routes for those who can demonstrate that they have acquired the requisite experience and competence in the design and surveying of buildings to become registered. A significant number of Architectural Technologists have succeeded to date in becoming registered.

I would therefore encourage those Architectural Technologists who consider they possess the requisite competence in the design of construction works to contact EI, RIAI and SCSIin order to pursue registration so that they can avail of the many opportunities in relation to the new roles of Design Certifier and/or Assigned Certifier that are now available to registered construction professionals as a consequence of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014.