In 2013 Mr Garrett Fennell, Solicitor, who is chairperson of the Admissions Board established by the Royal Institution of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) to oversee the registration of architects under the Building Control Act 2007, was tasked with reviewing the arrangements in place for registration. Mr Fennell’s report, which was welcomed by my Department, made a number of recommendations intended to improve and streamline the arrangements for registration, in particular those which apply to practically trained persons who had been operating as architects for 10 years prior to the commencement of the Act of 2007. Implementation of these recommendations, in consultation with the Architects Alliance of Ireland and others, has seen a number of reforms which now make it easier for such practically trained persons to become registered. Such reforms include administering the technical assessment process on a cyclical basis where briefing, guidance and support for candidates can be administered in a structured manner, mentoring and supporting applicants, facilitating assessment based on recent projects, facilitating applicants with reassessment/reapplication (i.e. ensuring it is not seen as a one chance only route to registration) and reviewing and simplifying guidance materials with direct input from practically trained persons. I have asked my Department and the RIAI as registration body to continue to work with the Architects Alliance of Ireland and others in this manner to achieve whatever further reasonable and practical improvements of the technical assessment process can be made in the context of the Fennell report or otherwise.
In relation to the proposals for the statutory registration of Architectural Technologists, I refer to the reply given to Question No. 519 of 18 November 2014 which remains the position. I welcome the decision by Quality Qualifications Ireland to facilitate the development of a common standard for architectural technology in line with the National Qualifications Framework which is an important step towards the development of a statutory register. I am committed to advancing plans for the statutory registration of architectural technologists as quickly as possible. I intend carrying out a public consultation on the matter over the coming months with a view to early publication of legislative proposals thereafter.
