Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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232. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on whether the inordinate delays which have become the norm in the processing of completion certificates are having a direct adverse effect on the ability of builders to complete and hand over new-built houses at a time when there is such obvious pressure on housing supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6599/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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In response to the many building failures that have emerged over the past decade, my Department introduced the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, which require greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certification of design and construction by registered construction professionals and builders, lodgment of compliance documentation, mandatory inspections during construction and validation and registration of certificates.

Article 20F of the Building Control Regulations provides that a Certificate of Compliance on Completion shall be submitted to a building control authority and be included on the register before works or a building may be opened, occupied or used.

A Certificate of Compliance on Completion is jointly signed by the builder and the assigned certifier. This must be accompanied by plans and documentation to show how the constructed building complies with the building regulations and also the inspection plan, as implemented.

On receipt of a Certificate of Compliance on Completion, a building control authority shall consider within 21 days of the date of its receipt whether the Certificate of Compliance on Completion is valid. Where a revised certificate or additional documentation has been requested, the building control authority, on full receipt of such revised certificate or additional documentation as appropriate, may avail of a further period of 7 days within which to consider the validity of the certificate.

In addition, a nominated date for registration of the Certificate of Compliance on Completion can be facilitated. In order to avail of this, the required documentation demonstrating compliance and the Inspection Plan must be submitted to the building control authority, between 3 and 5 weeks prior to a nominated completion date for the building. The building control authority will consider the validity of the prospective Certificate of Compliance on Completion with a view to facilitating the inclusion of the details of the Certificate of Compliance on Completion on the statutory register on the nominated date.

Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings. Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities, who are independent in the exercise of this function.