Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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570. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 5 July 2022, if he will provide a dated record from each local authority nationwide of the number of product inspections done of concrete block, to include chemical and composition analysis to identify both the aggregate mix and the concentration of cement concentration in blocks analysed as part of such tests over the past two years (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1905/23]

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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571. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide a detailed listing from each local authority of the number of site inspections carried out in quarries within each local authority area that are providing aggregate for concrete block production for the past two years (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1906/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 571 together.

The Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (CPR) sets out rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. Under the European Union (Construction Products) Regulations 2013, each of the building control authorities (local authorities) have been designated as the principal market surveillance authorities for construction products that fall within the scope of the CPR within their administrative areas. The Regulations provide for significant powers of inspection and enforcement.

In 2020, in order to strengthen the market surveillance function, I appointed Dublin City Council as a competent authority, under the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2020 (Construction Products – Market Surveillance) Regulations 2020, for the carrying out of market surveillance functions under the European Union (Construction Products) Regulations 2013 for all related construction products on a nationwide basis. The National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office (NBCMSO) has been established for this purpose. Building control authorities liaise with NBCMSO to support compliance with the CPR and to determine appropriate action on enforcement matters, as they arise.

Building control authorities and NBCMSO are independent in the exercise of their statutory powers. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department therefore does collate the information requested by the Deputy.

However, it should be noted Ireland’s National market surveillance programme 2021 outlines a market surveillance campaign led by NBCMSO, to perform risk assessments of selected quarrying and pit operations, follow-up inspections, sampling and testing as appropriate to ensure compliance with the CPR. The 2022 programme continues to focus on the extractive industries sector and expand upon the programme commenced in 2021.