I thank the joint committee for the opportunity to come before it to explain the functions and powers of the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, and the Irish Agrément Board, IAB. The NSAI which was established under the National Standards Authority of Ireland Act 1996 is responsible for the drafting of national standards and is the national representative on European bodies for the drafting of European standards or ENs. It also encompasses the Legal Metrology Service which was established under the Metrology Act 1996 and is responsible for exercising regulation and control functions with regard to measurements, in particular those used for the purposes of trade. Through its client services division, the NSAI carries out certification services for Irish industry which allows the use of national and internationally recognised marks.
The Irish Agrément Board is an operational division of the NSAI. The board is an advisory committee to the NSAI and comprises representatives from the following organisations: the Royal institute of Architects of Ireland, RIAI; the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, IBEC; the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland, ACEI; the Construction Industry Federation, CIF; the Irish Home Builders Association, IHBA; the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI; Enterprise Ireland; and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The board publishes national technical approvals for innovative construction and civil engineering products under the Irish building regulations and in accordance with the rules of the international union of agrément bodies of 17 European countries.
The purpose of agrément is to raise standards in the building industry, particularly in respect of innovative products. Certification under agrément is certification as to fitness for a specific purpose rather than certification against a standard. The onus is on applicants to produce evidence to support their performance claims for the product or material in respect of which agrément is sought. Statutory Instrument 497 of 1997, also known as the building regulations 1997, defines "proper materials" as "materials which are fit for use for the use for which they are intended and for the conditions in which they are to be used" and includes materials which hold an appropriate Irish Agrément Board certificate. Certification by the IAB is not the only method to show that a material is a "proper material". The regulations also allow other means of establishing proof of fitness for purpose. Certification by the IAB is, therefore, a voluntary procedure.
IAB certification establishes proof of conformance with building regulation requirements. National technical approvals are undertaken for product manufacturers and of proven benefit in expanding European and world markets through the multilateral agrément confirmation process. To date, more than 300 products have been approved, for example, complete building systems, insulation products, waste water treatment systems, radon barriers and cross linked polyethylene pipes. Of more than 200 currently valid certificates, 29 are related to waste water treatment systems.
The European Union has developed a CE marking for innovative construction products under the Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC and the Irish Agrément Board has been designated by the Government as the national co-ordinating body for Ireland in this process in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. European technical approvals, when developed, will constitute a CE mark related certification service for the NSAI. Through the IAB, the NSAI has recently formed a strategic alliance with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and SEI to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to allow the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government achieve his ambitious plans on the reduction of carbon emissions from housing.
The NSAI has had a long history of involvement in the area of waste water treatment systems for single dwellings. Standard recommendation 6 or SR6 was first released in 1975 and that enabled the industry to adopt a systematic approach to site assessment and design of septic tank systems. The greater need at the time was the provision of indoor sanitary facilities and SR6 recognised that.
In 1991 SR6 was revised and a higher emphasis was placed on the disposal of effluent into the ground. Throughout the 1990s, amid sustained economic growth and an associated demand for single rural dwellings, the NSAI responded to society's needs through its agrément function and introduced a method for assessing proprietary waste water treatment systems. It was clear that Irish manufacturers were developing products that would lead to an improved treatment of waste water. The efficacy of those systems needed to be verified and in the absence of any testing facilities in Ireland the Irish Agrément Board developed an assessment method after conducting wide-ranging consultations with all interested parties. That round of public consultation took place in 2003 and the IAB has incorporated all the salient inputs into its assessment procedures. The systems are capable of treating waste water to a high level and therefore allow the possibility of development on a wider range of sites with varying ground conditions.
The certification process will see six operating units monitored over a nine-month period to ensure that satisfactory treatment is taking place. Structural tests are also carried out on the tank and evaluation and testing of all safety devices. In addition to certifying the products, the NSAI agrément recognised the need for proper installation, commissioning and maintenance to ensure that the proprietary systems continue to function correctly. To address that we insist on the manufacturer having the capacity to offer a maintenance contract to all purchasers, either directly or through an agent. Our certificates highlight the requirement for ongoing maintenance and clearly set out the conditions under which the units are to be used. It is our policy to audit each certificate holder annually to ensure that the units continue to be manufactured to a high quality. In 2004 a contract was introduced that placed a five-year time limit on the certificate. If a manufacturer decides to renew the certificate then a significant re-examination of the product is carried out at that time. Notwithstanding any of what I have outlined, we fully recognise that for these products to treat sewage to a high quality they require regular maintenance from the end user who will incur significant ongoing costs.