Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 February 2013
131. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6526/13]
View answer139. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) relating to the Building Control Act. [6248/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 139 together.
The register of persons entitled to use the title of architect was introduced as a consumer protection measure and is designed to prevent persons who fail to demonstrate the required level of competence from passing themselves off as architects. There can be no question of allowing any person to use the title of architect unless he/she is registered to do so.
The arrangements for the registration of Architects are addressed under Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007. The Act provides routes to registration that are open, transparent and fair for potential candidates from a variety of backgrounds including those who are practically trained and have limited or no academic training or qualifications.
Section 22 of the Act 2007 already provides a route towards registration for longstanding practitioners who had been providing architectural services in Ireland , commensurate with those understood as being provided by Architects for the purposes of the Act , for a period of ten years at the time the Act became law. This provision is transitional in nature and enables this category of persons who may not have any formal academic training, qualifications or certification to become registered once they have been assessed as eligible for registration by the Technical Assessment Board in accordance with the practical experience assessment procedure.
In addition, Section 14(f) provides a permanent route to registration for practically trained persons who have 7 years appropriate practical experience and who have passed the prescribed register examination. I am satisfied that the statutory arrangements for registration that are currently in place are appropriate and there are no proposals to amend the Act under consideration by my Department. I would encourage all practically trained persons to pursue the routes to registration which are currently open to them with a view to joining the small but growing numbers of practically trained architects already on the register.
