Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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23. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the role and membership of the building regulations advisory body; the number of meetings held by this body since March 2011; and the number of these meetings which discussed the regulations which became the BC(A)R 2014. [3604/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Section 14 of the Building Control Act 1990 provides for the establishment of a Building Regulations Advisory Body to advise on matters relating to the Building Regulations and to provide advisory services for or on behalf of the Minister. The Body has no executive function. Currently there is no Building Regulations Advisory Body in place. The last such Body was appointed in June 2007 for a period of 5 years. Prior to the completion of its term of service in June 2012 the then Minister extended its term of service until 1 October 2012. The membership comprised of nominated representatives of key Construction Industry stakeholders (both private and public sectors) and full membership details can be found on my Departments website at the following link

The Body held eight plenary meetings (excluding working groups meetings) during the period between March 2011 and 1 October 2012. Three of those meetings included brief updates from the Department on progress relating to the drafting of new building control regulations which was being overseen by a High Level Group established to review the arrangements in place for the control of building activity. Building Control Regulations set down administrative procedures for the control of building activity and are distinct and complementary to the statutory performance standards set down in Building Regulations with which the Building Regulations Advisory Body is predominantly concerned. Detailed consideration of the new regulatory framework took place at three further meetings of the Body and members were also invited to an industry briefing on the draft Building Control Amendment Regulations released for public consultation in April 2012. The Body had also produced its own report on enforcement which was adopted at its meeting of 22 June 2011 and which was forwarded to the then Minister for consideration at that time in conjunction with the report of the High Level Group.