The primary purpose of the Building Control Act, 1990, which was enacted on 21 March this year, is to provide a new statutory basis for the making and administration of building regulations. The Act provides for flexibility in the approach to the control arrangements to be adapted to secure compliance with the regulations. The Act enables building regulations to address the health, safety and welfare of persons in and about buildings, energy conservation, access for the disabled and the promotion of good building practice. It is, of course, the intention that the provisions of any regulations to be made under the Building Control Act, 1990, in so far as they relate to fire safety will, in common with other provisions of such regulations, apply uniformly across the whole country.
The assessment of the fire aspects of individual buildings by fire authorities, whether under regulations to be made under the Building Control Act, 1990, for new developments or under other statutory provisions for other operations will thus fall to be carried out under uniform legislative provisions in all areas with, where appropriate, relevant statutory rights of appeal. The exercise of a statutory function in an individual case by a fire authority, where it may arise, will, of course, fall to be based on the assessment by the fire authority concerned of the particular relevant considerations which apply in that particular case.
In so far as harmonisation of approach to assessment of the technical fire considerations involved may be concerned, action has been taken in several areas. There are standard requirements in terms of minimum educational qualifications and experience specified for candidates for all senior fire service posts under local authorities. The Fire Services Council provide ongoing training in different areas of fire safety engineering for senior fire officers. Uniform codes of practice and guidelines have been prepared and issued by my Department in relation to the fire safety aspects of various categories of buildings and operations with the full and generous co-operation of the fire authorities and their chief fire officers and this work is continuing.
