Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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584. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the areas in Dublin where Dublin Fire Brigade is adequately resourced to rapidly process the fire safety applications from new early learning and care services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39210/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The design and construction of buildings is regulated under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020. The Act provides for the making of Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations.

The Building Regulations set out the minimum legal performance requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings. The purpose of the Building Regulations is primarily to protect the health, safety and welfare of people in and around buildings. The Building Control Regulations set out the system of administrative controls to support compliance with the Building Regulations.

A Fire Safety Certificate is a certificate granted by a Building Control Authority, which certifies that the building or works, if constructed in accordance with the plans, documents and information submitted to the Authority, would comply with the requirements of Part B of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations 1997 as amended.

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 who are independent in the exercise of their statutory powers under the Building Control Acts 1990 - 2020. Dublin Fire Brigade assesses and processes Fire Safety Certificate applications on behalf of Dublin City Council and the three other Building Control Authorities in the Dublin Region - Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council.

A decision must be made on each application within 2 months, but this period may be extended by written agreement between the applicant and the Building Control Authority, e.g. when the Authority seeks further information on the application. A Fire Safety Certificate may be granted with or without conditions, or refused.

My Department has no involvement in the operational or transactional element of this statutory requirement. 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.