The 1997 report of the strategic review committee on the construction industry recommended that the title of "Architect" be registered by law. The Forum for the Construction Industry – FCI – has submitted detailed proposals for the registration of architects, following consultation and agreement with all the architectural representative bodies – Association of Building Engineers, ABE, Architects and Surveyors Institute, ASI, Group of Independent Architects of Ireland, GIAI, Irish Architects Society, IAS, and the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, RIAI.
My Department is currently developing proposals for a Building Control Bill. This will include provision for the registration of architects, broadly along the lines recommended by the strategic review committee and the Forum for the Construction Industry. The Bill will spell out the eligibility criteria for registration and provide for the establishment of a technical assessment board. The architectural bodies concerned have not expressed concerns to my Department about the proposed legislation on the lines indicated in the question.
