Thomas Gould
Question:355. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the body that inspects the quality of local authority contracted construction. [42447/21]
View answerThursday, 9 September 2021
Questions (355)
Written answers
The quality of local authority contracted construction is a matter for the contracting parties in the first place, which includes the Builder, Employers Representative, Design and Assigned Certifiers, among others, in addition to the relevant local authority or Client.
Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020, primary responsibility for compliance of works with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the owners, designers and builders of buildings.
Since the introduction of Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, (BCAR), greater accountability is required in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certification of design and construction by registered construction professionals and builders, lodgement of compliance documentation, mandatory inspections during construction and validation and registration of certificates. This legislation empowers competence and professionalism in construction projects and establishes a chain of responsibility that begins with the owner.
In addition, under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020, Building Control Authorities have strong powers of inspection, enforcement and prosecution and are independent in the use of their statutory powers under the Acts.
In line with the agreed Performance Indicators for Local Government and the Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works, Building Control Authorities are required to carry out a level of inspection equivalent to 12% to 15% of new buildings for which valid commencement notices have been received. The National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) collects and publishes this data. The Performance Indicators in Local Authorities reports are available at noac.ie