Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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586. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline his plans to amend the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 to address the concerns relating to self-builds; and if so, the timeframe he envisages for bringing any such amendments before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8109/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Building Control Act 1990 places a statutory obligation on owners, designers and builders to design and construct buildings in compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations. Following public concern with regard to the widespread failure to comply with regulatory requirements in all sectors of the construction industry, the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 9 of 2014) were introduced to strengthen the arrangements in place by requiring greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations. Over 5,000 construction projects have commenced to date since the new regulations took effect on 1 March 2014 and thus require statutory certification of design and construction, lodgement of compliance documentation, mandatory inspections during construction and validation and registration of certificates.

In relation to the self-build sector I refer to the reply given in response to Questions Nos. 541 and 542 of 18 December 2014. Price is determined by market forces and is therefore outside of the scope of my regulatory powers. Nevertheless, I recognise the importance of ensuring that the regulations do not impact unduly on the self-build sector, particularly in relation to cost. As indicated previously, my Department, in conjunction with the Housing Agency and the construction professional bodies, is currently finalising additional guidance on an appropriate inspection plan for a typical single dwelling. This guidance will be helpful in better informing the market in relation to offering realistic and appropriately priced professional services for such work.

I also intend to announce details of the imminent review of S.I. No. 9 of 2014 early next month. A full report on the matter will be produced by the second quarter of 2015 and will inform further regulation in this critical area. I will arrange for a copy of the report to be made available in the Oireachtas Library in due course.