Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2015
495. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the measures his Department has in place to assist small and medium sized steel fabricators with the implementation of the compliance requirements under I.S. EN 1090; if his Department has any grants in place, or envisages helping to offset the financial burden involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19665/15]
View answer496. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department plans to follow the example set by the United Kingdom and introduce compliance assistance grants in order to assist small and medium sized enterprises working in steel fabrication with their compliance obligations under I.S.EN 1090, which came into effect on 1 July 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19666/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 496 together.
Grant assistance is not available from my Department to assist particular sectors of industry to meet their statutory obligations under the Construction Products Regulation nor is this proposed. However, I understand that Local Enterprise Offices in association with the National Standards Authority of Ireland and Enterprise Ireland hosted a series of regional workshops for fabrication, engineering and construction companies and other interested parties on requirements under the harmonised European standard for structural steel, EN 1090-1:2009 Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures - Part 1: Requirements for conformity assessment of structural components.
A suite of supporting documentation, including an assessment checklist and a pre-audit questionnaire, were disseminated to all participants at these regional workshops and are also available on the National Standards Authority of Ireland’s website at http://www.nsai.ie/our-services/certification/product-certification/ce-marking-en-1090.aspx. In addition, the primary standards I.S. EN 1090-1 and I.S. EN 1090-2 are now being made available, through the Local Enterprise Offices, to industry at a discounted packaged rate. Furthermore, I understand that the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Education and Skills are in the process of identifying the training providers/courses that are available locally to facilitate small and medium sized fabricators in achieving compliance with the requirements of I.S. EN 1090-1.
My Department, working through Building Regulations Advisory Body structures, and in conjunction with the National Standards Authority of Ireland, the National Roads Authority, the Office of Public Works and the Building Materials Federation, prepared an information paper setting out the implications for manufacturers, importers and distributors in relation to placing construction products on the market arising from the introduction of the Construction Products Regulation on 1 July 2013.
This information paper was widely circulated, firstly in mid-2012, again in mid-2013 and also as part of the information pack provided at the regional workshops for steel fabricators, to stakeholders throughout the construction sector by the Department, local authorities and by each of the participating organisations. My Department has also proactively promoted awareness of the Construction Products Regulation at key industry conferences and workshops. In addition, a comprehensive three-month public consultation was held as an integral part of the development of the supporting European Union (Construction Products) Regulations 2013 which set out the framework for market surveillance in Ireland under the Construction Products Regulation.
It is understood that the number of steel fabricators operating in the State who have already established, or are in the process of establishing, the systems necessary to comply with their obligations under the Construction Products Regulation and I.S. EN 1090-1 continues to increase. All other fabricators of structural steel are encouraged to put in place the systems necessary for compliance at the earliest possible opportunity.
