Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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519. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the new regulations introduced in March 2014 that apply to architectural technologists; the way he expects architectural technologists to operate considering the extra costs now involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44212/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (SI No. 9 of 2014), which came into operation on 1 March 2014, greatly 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 established in accordance with the Building Control Act 2007, or who is a Chartered Engineer. These are the construction professions typically involved in the design of construction works in Ireland and reference to these professions in regulation is entirely 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. That said, I am aware of the valuable contribution to the construction industry that is made by architectural technologists and I welcome and support the recent moves made by both the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) to put this important discipline on a professional footing. Both bodies have recently agreed to the development through Quality Qualifications Ireland structures of an agreed common standard for Architectural Technologist in line with the National Qualifications Framework.

The regulation of professions is in the first instance a matter for industry representatives working in concert with relevant industry stakeholders. Neither I, as Minister, nor my Department, have any role in the assessment or validation of professional qualifications. Nevertheless, where robust arrangements for the regulation of key disciplines such as that of Architectural Technologist can be achieved, in a manner capable of serving the public interest for quality and safety in the built environment at a reasonable economic cost to consumers, I would be happy to sponsor legislation to place such arrangements on a statutory footing.

It is also worth noting that, depending on their personal background and experience, it may be open to persons who are Architectural Technologists, and who possess the requisite experience and competence in the design of buildings, to seek inclusion on either of the statutory registers in respect of Architects or Building Surveyors. A number of Architectural Technologists have already succeeded in gaining inclusion on the statutory registers to date and are thus in a position to avail of the many opportunities to act as Design Certifier and Assigned Certifier that will continue to arise as a consequence of SI No. 9 of 2014.