John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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656. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which fire safety certificates can be awarded on developments, such as a development (details supplied) in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in view of the fact these buildings were in breach of fire regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31087/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My Department has overall responsibility for the statutory regulatory framework governing Building Regulations, Building Control and Fire Services. Inspection and enforcement are a matter for local authorities who, under the Building Control Act 1990 and the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003, are designated as Building Control and Fire Authorities in their respective functional areas and have extensive statutory powers of inspection and enforcement.

A Fire Safety Certificate is a certificate granted by a local Building Control Authority which specifies that the works or building to which the application relates will, if carried out in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted, comply with the requirements of Part B of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations. A Fire Safety Certificate is required for certain new buildings and works to existing buildings to which the requirements of Part B of the Building Regulations apply.

Fire Safety Certificates and all other statutory Certificates required pursuant to the Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations are lodged with the appropriate local Building Control Authority and my Department has no involvement in the operational aspects of this mandatory statutory requirement.