Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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428. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the policy of his Department toward the use of 3D printing for home construction; if he envisions widescale usage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5730/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to increased adoption of Modern Methods of Construction to support housing delivery. A range of initiatives have been put in place to support MMC and digitalisation including the MMC Leadership and Integration Group, led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and its publication the Roadmap for Increased Adoption of MMC in Public Housing Delivery; ConstructInnovate - Ireland's National Construction Research Centre; the MMC Demonstration Park at Mount Lucas National Construction Training Campus; the Enterprise Ireland Built-to-Innovate initiative, a Standardised Design Approaches Study, Build Digital, and the Timber in Construction Steering Group.

The Building Regulations set out minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings and works to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings. They are subject to ongoing review in the interests of safety and the well-being of persons in the built environment, and to ensure that due regard is taken of changes in construction techniques, technological progress and innovation. The Building Regulations are expressed in broad performance terms and do not set limitations on the use of materials.

A suite of Technical Guidance Documents provides guidance on how to achieve that performance in practice for common non-complex building types. Where works are carried out in accordance with the technical guidance, this will, prima facie, indicate compliance with the relevant part of the Building Regulations.

Technical Guidance Documents are free to view/download on my Department's website at the following link:

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/building-standards/tgd-part-d-materials-and-workmanship/Technical-guidance-documents

All Modern Methods of Construction systems must be of a high quality, comply with all requirements of the Building Regulations and have a 60-year durability.

For non-standardised, new or innovative products or systems, including 3D printing, compliance with the Building Regulations can be demonstrated by third party certification by an independent approval body, such as National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Agrément. Agrément certification is a means of demonstrating compliance with each of the 12 parts of the Building Regulations, and is generally accepted by Building Control Authorities.