Vol. 489 No. 6
505 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, his Department has to make building inspection mandatory as suggested by the report of Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8928/98]
Under the building control system, primary responsibility for complying with the building regulations rests with owners, designers and builders. The role of local authorities is to monitor the operation of the system via, inter alia, the random inspection of a sample of buildings in their area. This model was decided upon when the system was originally introduced, having regard to the need to minimise bureaucracy and costs in relation to development and demands on local authorities.
I have set two objectives for local building control authorities in 1998, the appointment of building control inspectors by all authorities not later than 1 July 1998 and to ensure all authorities make substantial progress to inspection of 12 per cent to 15 per cent of building developments, as recommended in guidelines formulated by the City and County Managers' Association, by the end of 1998.
There are no plans to make inspections by building control authorities universal or mandatory. Such a level of inspection could only be achieved with significant additional funding and staffing of local authorities.
506 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department will incorporate into the 1999 proposed building regulations a definition of reasonable access as described in sections 9.6, 9.10, 9.13 and 9.15 of the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8929/98]
I will consider this recommendation in the context of the next review of Part M of the national building regulations, bearing in mind international practice and experience.
507 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department will introduce legislation requiring access certificates for buildings as recommended by section 9.21 of the report of Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8930/98]
Part M of the building regulations requires the provision of access for people with disabilities in new or reconstructed buildings, other than houses, commenced on or after 1 June 1992. Owners, designers and builders are responsible for complying with the regulations. Local authorities have a role in monitoring and enforcing compliance which they may carry out by random inspections of sample buildings and investigations of any complaints about non-compliance. I am advised that it would not be feasible to introduce disabled access certificates as, to be effective, this would involve universal inspection of completed buildings governed by Part M. Local authorities do not have the financial or staff resources to undertake inspections on this scale. In all the circumstances, I have no proposals to introduce legislation along the lines referred to.
