Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2012
76. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of timber framed apartment buildings over two storeys that have been completed here between the granting of an Irish Agreement Certificate in February 2004 for such structures and June 2009 when the Irish Standard IS 440 was introduced; and if he is satisfied that these structures comply with fire safety building regulations. [54255/12]
View answerPart B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations sets out the legal requirements in relation to fire safety in the design and construction of new buildings, including apartments, and existing buildings which undergo an extension, material alteration or material change of use. The related Technical Guidance Document B (TGD-B) provides guidance on how compliance with the legal requirement of Part B can be achieved in practice.
In addition to the above, the Department in 2002 commissioned an independent study on the use of timber frame housing in Irish conditions which, following public consultation, was published in December 2003. The study included recommendations which have since been implemented in relation to the development of standards and on-site quality assurance procedures. A Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) is currently required before construction work commences on new non-domestic buildings and apartment blocks and extensions to or material alterations/changes of use of existing buildings. The FSC is issued by the Building Control Authority and certifies that the building, if constructed in accordance with the plans and documentation submitted, will comply with the requirements of Part B of the Building Regulations.
The Building Control Act 1990 places responsibility for compliance with the building Regulations firmly on the owners, builders and designers of building works. Implementation and enforcement of the building control system is a matter for the local building control authority. The Department has no function in assessing, checking or testing compliance, or otherwise, of specific works or developments.
While the Department produces annual housing statistics, it is not possible to isolate timber framed apartment buildings as referred to in the question. The Act of 1990 does however require each Building Control Authority to maintain a statutory register of building activity within its functional area. The statutory register must include details of commencement notices, describing the nature and scale of the building works involved, together with details of the Fire Safety Certificate, where relevant, and any other statutory building control processed concerning the building in question. These registers are available for public viewing.
