Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2010
337 Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the recommendations of the National Consumer Agency Report Putting the Consumer First in relation to the home construction industry, published in November 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5393/10]
View answerIt is important to note that many of the recommendations made in the report by the National Consumer Agency (NCA) relate to areas outside my remit. These include, for example, recommendations on the introduction of legislative amendments to the period for the statute of limitations, or the provision of information to the consumer by the home construction industry. Similarly, recommendations made on the operation of the HomeBond scheme — operated by the National House Building Guarantee Scheme Company Limited, which is a private company — are a matter for the company. I met the NCA shortly after the report was published to discuss some of the recommendations that come within the specific remit of my Department. A number of them have since been acted on, including the appointment of an NCA representative to the Building Regulations Advisory Body in 2009. Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations was revised in December 2009. Work is also advancing well on the review of Part E. It is hoped that a draft revised Part E will be released for public consultation later this year. With regard to the recommendations concerning building control enforcement and compliance, my Department liaises closely with the building control authorities to ensure that enforcement inspection targets are met. Responsibility for compliance with the regulations rests primarily with the owner or builder of the building. However, with regard to the responsibility for bringing a non-compliant building into compliance with the regulations, it is my understanding that building control authorities would not generally initiate enforcement proceedings against a homeowner where a builder had been engaged to carry out the work. In terms of accessibility of the Building Regulations, and the accompanying Technical Guidance Documents, it is important to note that they are drafted following extensive public consultation in as clear a manner as possible. While necessarily including content of a technical nature, I believe they are already accessible to the typical end-users of the regulations. Finally, Fire Safety Certificates are required for non-domestic buildings and apartment blocks and it is not proposed to extend this requirement. All buildings must of course comply with the requirements under Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations.
