Vol. 328 No. 5
asked the Minister for Industry Commerce and Tourism if he is satisfied that the Electro-Technical Council of Ireland are administering the system of certification governing the national rules for electrical installations; and if he is aware that certificates can be bought, without adequate identification checks, from the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, Ballymun Road, Dublin, and subsequently be passed on by unqualified electrical installers.
12.
asked the Minister for Industry Commerce and Tourism the contact that he has had with the Electro-Technical Council of Ireland; if he is satisfied that the document entitled National Rules for Electrical Installations has been made available in sufficient quantity to all electricians and electrical contractors in the country in order that they can porperly and honestly sign the completion certificate for domestic and small commercial installations required by the ETCI.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I Propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.
While the rules to which the Deputy refers were prepared and published by the Electro-Technical Council of Ireland, that body, being a voluntary one, which only performs an advisory role in electrical matters, does not have powers of enforcement. I share the concern which obviously prompted the Deputy's question in this matter as to the need for an effective mechanism to ensure that members of the public are not put at risk by wiring installations which do not comply with adequate safety requirements. My Department have had discussions with the Department of the Environment about this matter. My view is that the best way to deal with the problem is by checks carried out in the course of the inspection process undertaken for the purposes of the Housing Acts, following the incorporation of the provisions of the ETCI electrical installation rules in the building regulations.
As to the certificates referred to by the Deputy, these are blank forms of certificate which are intended for completion by electrical contractors in respect of electrical installation work carried out or tested by them. I understand that blank forms for this purpose may be obtained from a number of sources including the ETCI and, indeed, alternative forms of certificate could be, and I believe are, used. However, the availability in itself of forms of certificate is not a problem; it is the quality of the work actually carried out which really matters in so far as the user of premises is concerned.
I understand from the ETCI, with whom my Department have regular contact, that their rules for electrical installations are available at all times from the council and that from time to time they publish notifications in the daily newspapers to this effect.
While I agree with the Minister that it is the standard of work that is important and not the availability of certificates, from what the Minister says there appears to be a loophole which allows certificates to be completed, the result of which could be substandard work. If that loophole exists would the Minister accept that there is a need to plug it as quickly as possible?
I would accept what the Deputy is saying. Both the Department of the Environment and the ESB have an obligation in this matter. We are endeavouring to have steps taken to ensure that that loophole is blocked. I understand that the Department of the Environment are at present examining the position with a view to having these rules included in house inspections in the near future.
In an effort to clarify this—the Minister has mentioned two Departments, Environment and Energy—can he say to what extent his Department become involved in this, is it a coordinating function or——
We are involved directly.
Might I ask the Minister to bring this to the notice of the two Departments mentioned?
We are doing that already.
