Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 July 2016
259. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the difference in planning enforcement procedures and powers of local authorities under the new building control regulations compared with the pre-2014 regulations. [23545/16]
View answerLocal authorities have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement under the Planning and Development Acts. These powers of inspection and enforcement are separate and distinct from the provisions of the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014 and in particular the Building Control Regulations 1997-2015 which put in place the administrative arrangements by which owners, designers and builders are required to demonstrate their approach to achieving compliance with the Building Regulations.
In tandem with the commencement of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the online Building Control Management System (BCMS) was developed to provide a common platform for the clear and consistent administration of building control matters across the local authority sector. Its purpose is to facilitate building control authorities, building owners, builders and construction professionals in discharging their separate responsibilities under the Building Control Acts. Oversight of construction activity by local building control authorities has now improved immeasurably with the availability and ready access to detailed data on projects via the online BCMS.
In addition, A Framework for Building Control Authorities has been adopted by the City and County Management Association in order to standardise work practices, systems, procedures and decision-making in relation to the oversight of building control activity across the local authority sector, to enhance consistency of approach nationally, and to move towards a risk-based approach to inspections by building control authorities. Standardised inspection templates have also been developed under this process.
These key reforms to the building control framework represent a reasonable and appropriate response to the many building failures that occurred in the past. This will lead to improved quality within the construction sector now and into the future. Nevertheless, my Department will continue to work closely with local authorities, industry stakeholders and members of the public generally to ensure that all concerned understand their obligations under the Building Regulations.
