Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 November 2014
83. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding the Construction Contracts Act; when the legislation will take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42354/14]
View answer84. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason the Construction Contracts Act has not taken effect more than 430 days after it was signed into law by the President and more than 1,600 days after the legislation was first introduced into the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42365/14]
View answer85. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the date on which the Construction Contracts Act will take effect; if his attention has been drawn to the damage the delays are causing to construction contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42386/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 83 to 85, inclusive, together.
The Government approved the transfer of responsibility for implementation of the Construction Contracts Act 2013 to Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash , TD, from 20th October 2014.
The commencement of the Construction Contracts Act 2013 is dependent on a number of factors contained within the Act itself. These include the appointment by the Minister of the Panel of Adjudicators, who must be highly qualified and suitable in order to ensure quality outcomes in disputes referred under the Act, the appointment of a Chairperson for that panel, and the drafting and publication of a code of practice for the conduct of adjudications, which will be binding on all adjudicators operating under the Act, not just those appointed to cases by the Chair of the Adjudication panel. Work on these items, and the required consultation with industry, has been and is ongoing.
It is hoped that the Act will be implemented in full by Spring 2015. A specific date of implementation will be announced in advance once it has been finalised, to provide sufficient notice to those affected by the Act's provisions.
