Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 April 2014
145. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when an approved training course for BER assessors will be put back in place; and when the necessary registration examinations will commence. [15715/14]
View answerDomestic BER assessor training courses, first introduced in 2007, were provided by training providers registered with a National Awards Body (i.e. Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC), Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) or one of the Universities) recognised under the National Framework of Qualifications. Successful completion of a FETAC domestic BER assessor training course led to a Level 6 Special Purpose Award.
In November 2012, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) was established as an integrated agency which replaced HETAC, FETAC, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland and also incorporated the functions of the Irish Universities Quality Board. My Department understands that QQI initiated a review of existing awards and consequently deactivated a number of awards including the BER assessor training course award in December 2013. Following notification, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), as the issuing authority under the European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2012 with responsibility, among other things, for the registration of BER assessors, immediately contacted QQI to address the issue of award deactivation.
SEAI is working, in consultation with QQI, on the review and validation of the domestic BER assessor training course which will lead to a new award. QQI has indicated that the earliest possible date for award validation will be September 2014.
The national domestic BER examination remains in place for existing BER assessors and candidates who have completed a recognised BER assessor training course on or before December 2013.
