Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1159. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the register for architectural technicians. [8303/20]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Architectural Technologists are not currently classed as a regulated profession in Ireland. This 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.

In early 2016, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) published Awards Standards for Architectural Technology award. The Awards Standards are designed to be used by:

(i) providers when designing new programmes and establishing minimum intended programme learning outcomes;

(ii) awarding bodies when validating new programmes; and

(iii) in the accreditation of programmes by the relevant professional bodies. They are also used by providers when reviewing their programmes.

In general, the regulation of professions is in the first instance a matter for industry representatives working in consultation with relevant industry stakeholders.  My Department has been engaging with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) in relation to the establishment of a statutory register. In this regard, CIAT has identified that its preferred route is to set up a stand alone register for Architectural Technologists. As such, it is now a matter for CIAT to set up a register on an administrative basis in keeping with registers already in place for other professional groupings under the Building Control Act 2007 and in consultation with the relevant industry stakeholders. 

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 act as Design Certifiers and Assigned Certifiers.