Written answers

Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Building Regulations

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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133. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number and percentage of developments that are exempt or availing of the opt out clause under the building control regulations including new single dwellings, domestic extensions greater than or equal to 40m2 and extensions of less than 40m2 that have been inspected in each local authority since the introduction of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations in September 2015; the local authorities which have inspected less than 12% to 15% of validly commenced building units; and if inspecting less than this percentage of exempted or opt out developments is considered a breach of their statutory responsibilities under the Building Control Act 1990. [22226/17]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of building inspections by building control authorities of multi unit dwellings carried out in each local authority in each of the years 2015 to 2016. [22228/17]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which his Department monitors that building control authorities are fulfilling their roles as described in section 3.6.1 of the Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works (details supplied); and the way his Department measures an appropriate level of assessment and inspection. [22229/17]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 133, 135 and 136 together.

In relation to the Deputy's request, the matters referred to are matters for local authorities, who are independent in the use of their statutory powers under the Building Control Acts 1990 - 2014.

In line with the agreed Performance Indicators for Local Government, Building Control Authorities are required to carry out a level of inspection equivalent to 12% to 15% of new buildings for which valid commencement notices have been received and the National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) report for 2015 provides that the median figure for all local Building Control Authorities was 24%.

The Local Government Management Agency collected data on inspections carried out up to 2013 and published this information in the Service Indicators in Local Authorities reports from 2005 to 2013. These reports are available at .

Following the commencement of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, the (NOAC) now collects and publishes this data. The Performance Indicators in Local Authorities reports for 2014 & 2015 are available at . The 2016 report will be published in due course once it is finalised.

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of notifications by a building control authority to builders that a commencement notice does not comply with article 9 of the Building Control Regulations, as provided for under section 8 subsection (b) of the Building Control Regulations, in each year since the Building Control Amendment 2014. [22227/17]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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In relation to the Deputy's request, the issue referred to is a matter for local authorities, who are independent in the use of their statutory powers under the Building Control Acts 1990 - 2014.

The Building Control Management System (BCMS) provides a common platform for clear and consistent administration of building control matters across the local authority sector. The BCMS is an IT enabler, set up to facilitate building control authorities, building owners, builders and construction professionals in discharging their separate responsibilities under the Building Control Act 1990.

My Department is not involved in the day to day operation of this system.  However, it collates and publishes a range of housing and planning statistics, including information on Commencement Notices, which are available on the Department's website at .

In addition, Building Control Authorities are required to keep certain information pertaining to building works that come under the Building Control Regulations 1997-2015 on a statutory register, including particulars in relation to Commencement Notices and Declarations of Intention to Opt Out of Statutory Certification.  BCMS is centrally hosted by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) on behalf of the 31 Local Authorities and has enabled this information to be hosted on a central nationwide register, readily available and updated quarterly at .

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